Bad Decisions
by batcaveisforever
Summary: Babe story, not especially Joe friendly.  Steph is threatened and everyone is making bad decisions, with even worse consequences.  Now complete.
1. Chapter 1

_**Bad Decisions**_

_**Karen**_

The usual disclaimer applies – all Janet's, only playing, will return, except for you know who.

A/N: Thank you Lisa and Stephannie for your help and suggestions.

Rating: R – at least – language and smut for sure

CHAPTER ONE

I dropped the box of donuts on Connie's desk and threw myself onto the couch. I wanted to just dive into it headfirst, but was afraid of looking like Pooh Bear when he was stuck in the rabbit hole. All ass. Not a good look. I was especially happy I had made that decision when the door opened and my body tingled in response to the Entrance of Ranger. Really, there's no other way to describe it - the man has presence. And a kick-ass body, but I don't want to be too shallow.

"Ladies, Babe," his eyes touched them in turn and lingered on me. "Looking a little frazzled."

"The usual." I waved a hand and did a semi eye roll.

"The cop giving you trouble?" Lula looked over at me, peering through the masses of beaded cornrows that she was sporting this week.

I was so NOT discussing Joe in front of Ranger, so I remained silent. Turns out the Master of Silent doesn't like when other people use his tricks, so he walked over and sat down next to me, our legs touching, then he slid an arm around my shoulders. I could smell the shower gel and could feel my brain start to fuzz over. Oh, shit – I'm gonna get sucked into the force field and start babbling. I leaped up off the couch and walked over to Connie's desk to check my files. Ranger smiled, got up off the couch and walked toward the door.

"A minute of your time, Babe?" He arched an eyebrow at me inquiringly.

"Fuck," I thought. "Doesn't he have anything better to do? Catch a drug dealer? Save the free world? Invade a country?"

"Babe, I don't invade countries nowadays and I'm sure as hell not responsible for the free world."

"Hmm." I walked out with him and his hand came up around the back of my neck and guided me to the alley. He propped me up against the wall and pushed my hair back with his hand, tucking it behind my ear.

"So what's going on?"

I wish I could just say to him "why don't we give us a chance?", but of course I couldn't. Ranger had strict rules on relationships. At least with me he does. For all I know, he could be having relationships all over the greater tri-state area and I would never know. I frowned at that thought as a bolt of jealousy hit me hard. I checked to make sure I hadn't spontaneously turned green.

He touched my forehead, tracing the lines on my forehead. "Is it me? You're frowning."

"No, not you. Not specifically, anyway." I caved like he knew I would. "Joe is putting pressure on me. Less work, less you, time to step up, time to settle down."

"And that's a problem for you." He didn't phrase it as a question exactly, but left it open for discussion.

The idea of settling into a housewife role and the thought of that as my future when I "grew up" made my body go cold. The thought of not seeing Ranger filled me with pure panic. He was my best friend – different than Mary Lou, and harder to explain. But what else do you call someone that you place total trust in, who always supports and encourages you, who helps you anytime you ask, and for whom you would do most anything?

I think some of my feelings were showing in my eyes because he leaned in and wrapped his arms around me in a hug.

"Dangerous thoughts, Babe."

Yes, they were. They made me do what I did next – I felt dangerous suddenly and oddly powerful. I reached up and dragged his lips down to mine. He resisted for a second, and then with a muffled curse took over, sweeping his tongue inside my mouth and reaching up a hand to tangle in my curls. His other hand curved around my hips and pulled me to him. Our whole bodies were touching perfectly like we were made for each other and fireworks were going off inside me. Our lips clung to each other's desperately, then Ranger gentled the kiss, moving slightly away, dropping his forehead to mine.

"God, Babe."

"I know." I knew exactly what he was feeling. I waited for him to tell me he was rethinking Ranger's Rules of Relationships, but he didn't. I sighed and pushed my hands against his chest. I might have snuck in a quick feel, but who could blame me?

"I have to get to work. What do you have today?"

"Just found out that Gregory Suvajian is going to be down by the piers tomorrow night, so lots of planning and scouting."

"Big one." Gregory was a former Burger who had decided that dealing drugs was the way to a successful future. I pictured him in my head – short, a little chubby, but puppy dog brown eyes, curly dark brown hair and cheeks that were born to be squeezed. Because of his neighborhood connections, he was able to carve out a niche for himself without stepping on too many Family toes. It worked for a while until he had gotten caught with ten kilos of heroin and his fingerprints all over the briefcase. Oops. Normally this would have led to time in jail, probably a white-collar prison with cable tv and takeout dinners, but unfortunately one of his clients happened to be a Family member's daughter, who was now still in the hospital recovering from an overdose. His future looked sufficiently grim that he apparently decided that jumping bail and getting out of town was essential to his happiness. Enter Ranger. Gregory's happiness was about to explode right in his face.

Ranger threw an arm around my shoulders and walked me out of the alley. He stopped at my car and brushed my hair away from my face. "Better?" he questioned softly. And I was. It was amazing how he had the power to calm me, even with my hormones still on red alert.

"Yeah, you?"

Ranger hesitated for a minute and I could see a flash of indecision in his eyes. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to my lips – a very soft, loving kiss.

"You make me want more, Babe."

Holy shit, did Batman just say that? My eyes widened and my body froze in shock. Wait a minute, maybe he meant more kissing. Yeah, that must be it. But a little part of me was going to hold out a little hope that "more" meant something else. And so I grinned at him.

"I'm irresistible, haven't you heard?"

"That's the conclusion I'm coming to, Babe." Ranger stepped away, but kept one finger playing with one of my curls.

"Wanna help out tomorrow?"

"No, I got my own FTA's. Can't be ignoring the little guys."

Ranger laughed, dropped a quick kiss on my lips and disappeared into his truck. I love his truck. Big, black and lots of testosterone. I touched my lips and smiled, enjoying the view of tall, dark, muscled Ranger in his big, black truck. I shook my head to clear it, then I jumped into my Escape and went off to find my first skip.

A shadow separated itself from the doorway across the street and stood for a moment, staring blankly at the alley entrance. He didn't need a video camera to remember the scene he had just witnessed. And he didn't need a psychologist to tell him that this was more than just physical. Things were worse than he had thought and it was time for him to step up, be a man and make some decisions. If he didn't, he was afraid that he would be on the receiving end of the "It's not you, it's me" speech. He had staked his claim on Stephanie and damned if some muscled mercenary was going to walk in and take what was his. He needed a plan.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

_**Bad Decisions**_

_**Karen**_

Usual disclaimer applies – all Janet's, only playing, will return, except for you know who.

A/N: Thank you Lisa for your invaluable and always available assistance and encouragement

Thank you Stephannie for the help and the dialogue.

A little bit of angst, but not terrible.

Rating: R – Language & very adult situations

CHAPTER TWO

We arrived at the piers at eight o'clock, getting there in plenty of time to set up the surveillance that should net us Gregory Suvajian, heroin dealer extraordinaire.

"Amazing what a fucking idiot this guy is – why isn't he long gone?" Tank checked out the street, then leaned back in his seat, body at rest, his eyes constantly watchful.

"He needs money. He gave a key to his safe deposit box to his girlfriend and he's meeting her tonight. Then he's shipping out on a freighter to South America, never to be seen again."

"Too bad his plans are changing and he doesn't even know it."

Tank scanned the pier and slid a glance at Ranger.

"Lula said Steph was upset this morning."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

I shifted in my seat. I reached up and rubbed the bridge of my nose. I so didn't want to talk about this. Tank grinned to himself. It wasn't often he could make Ranger uncomfortable, and he was going to enjoy it. What else was there to do?

"So you talked to her?"

"Of course I talked to her. I don't make a habit of ignoring her, you know."

"No, you certainly don't. No way. Not at all. Not one little bit."

"Is there a point to this?"

Oooh, boss man's getting pissy now. Tank wondered exactly what went on this morning. Lula had said that Steph was upset in the office, probably something to do with Morelli, then she and Ranger went outside. He knew exactly what they were up to outside – no mystery there. Especially since Lu said they came out smiling.

"No, just curious. You think a lot of her, don't you?"

"Where you going with this?"

"Just wondering if you're gonna step up to the plate."

"Plate's full, Tank."

"You're not that stupid."

"It's complicated. I don't want to expose her to more danger. You know that's a real possibility. She has had more than her share of stalkers and crazies, but the people that hate me would capture her and torture her to pay me back. How do I expect her to take on even more risk?"

"More risk? Dead is dead, Ranger, whether it's some crazy from Columbia we captured or it's Ramirez, whom she found with no help from you at all. It doesn't really matter how. Both of you have enemies. Maybe if you got together, you would be stronger. God knows she would be better off out of that apartment she has. Christ, a two year old could pick those locks." Tank shook his head in disbelief.

"Don't tell her that. She's still impressed every time I do it." I smiled.

"Think about it, man. Life's too short, especially for us."

"There he is – along the side of the entrance to C dock." I keyed my mike and gave instructions to Lester and Bobby. "Let's go." Tank and I exited the SUV silently, and slowly made our way over to where Gregory was. Lester and Bobby were coming in from one side and we approached from another. We saw him with a girl; it appeared they were arguing. I wanted to wait until she left so she wouldn't get caught up in this, and we wouldn't have to worry about what she might be carrying, but she was going nowhere fast. Oh, hey now, looks like she's giving him a little present for his trip since her hand just disappeared into his pants. I spoke into the mike, "Move!"

We converged on Gregory and were within feet of them before they knew we were there. We quickly got them down on the ground, frisked them and cuffed him. We found guns in both his shoulder holster and an ankle holster. He looked up at us and zeroed in on Ranger. A calculating look appeared on his face and he started yelling.

"Hey, you – I got to talk with you. I got something important to tell you."

"Ranger, what you want to do with her?" Tank pointed to the girl. She was about twenty-five, stringy blond hair, a defiant attitude, and an appearance of having seen it all and experienced way too much of it.

"Do you have a car here?" I asked her, and she nodded.

"Just drop her off there. We don't have an authorization for her. Lester – escort her to her car."

Gregory turned his head toward her and yelled, "I'll be calling you Sondra. You stay home and wait for me. Don't be doing any stupid shit, hear, Baby?" Then he nudged Tank. "Hey, there's something in my pocket he needs to see. I'm not screwing with you."

Tank reached into Greg's shirt pocket and pulled out a photo. He turned it over and froze; it was a picture of Stephanie. Taken from some distance away, she was leaving her apartment building, carrying her black bag over her shoulder.

"Ranger." Tank handed him the photo.

Ranger looked at the photo and his jaw clenched. His blank face slipped into place and he turned to Gregory. "Well?"

"Well, I got something to bargain with. I got a picture of your girlfriend and you can't imagine the things I'm gonna do to her when I get off. She's sure sweet looking, ain't she? I haven't tasted anything that sweet in a long time. Does she scream? She looks like she might be a screamer. I bet she begs for it. Does she like big ones?"

Tank put his boot on Gregory's neck before Ranger killed him with his bare hands. "Shut up. What the fuck do you know about her?"

"Stephanie Plum? The Bombshell Bounty Hunter. Everyone knows her." He stared straight at Ranger. "Everyone knows that she's your woman. But I know a little more. I know where her parents live. I know she has a hamster named Rex. I know where she lives and that she has a fire escape for a balcony. Dangerous things, fire escapes. Easily accessible, if you know what I mean. I just want to make a trade. My life for hers. I can make her life a living hell. As long as she belongs to you, she is my number one priority. Let me go and I'll forget about her."

"Why do you have her picture?"

"What the fuck with the questions. There's a deal on the table. Yes or no?"

"Put him in the back, Tank."

I got in the passenger seat and tuned out Gregory's constant taunting. This is exactly what I had feared happening and why I wouldn't, _couldn't_ go any further with Steph. My God, the thought that I could be responsible for her being hurt was killing me.

We got to the police station and dropped him off, still swearing at me and yelling that I'd regret it.

Joe emerged from his office. "Heard you were picking him up tonight. Good catch."

I looked at him in surprise and nodded my head. "Thanks." I walked over to the desk to get my receipt and then Tank and I left the station.

Tank immediately started in. "What the fuck was that? That was totally out of nowhere. Have you heard of this guy before?"

"Drop me off at Steph's. Call Lester and leave a car for me."

Tank looked at me. "You want to talk about this?" His voice got lower and trailed off at the end. He could tell I was in no mood.

I walked up the stairs slowly and paused in front of her door. I put my hand flat on her door and rested my forehead against it for a minute. I unlocked the door and walked softly into her bedroom. I stopped in the doorway and watched the woman I loved sleep. I couldn't count the times I had watched her – she fell asleep anywhere. I never got tired of hearing the tiny moans she made or watching her mouth curve into a small smile. I kneeled next to the bed and gave in to the need to touch her skin and feel its softness. I gently pushed her hair away from her face, smiling as the curls came tumbling back again.

"Ranger," she softly murmured, still sleeping. I wondered if she could sense me or whether she was dreaming. I didn't want to wake her, so I got to my feet and sat in the chair next to the bed, leaning my head against the wall and thinking about this FUBARed evening. It felt like something was missing, something didn't make sense, but who could make sense of psychos? If they wanted to, they came after you. But now I had brought one right to Steph's doorstep, and that was unacceptable. I didn't like what I was going to do, but it was necessary to keep her safe. "I will protect you, Babe. Whatever the price." I silently whispered to her.

She started making those little moaning noises and moving her head from side to side. I gave up the internal war I was waging with myself and took off my boots, slid in the bed next to her and pulled her to me. Her ass slid perfectly into my hips and my arm nestled along her waist. I inhaled her scent and rubbed my cheek against her hair. I felt the instant that she woke up – her body stiffened for an instant, then relaxed. I could feel her head turn toward mine.

"Ranger? What are you doing here?"

"Needed to see you, Babe." Now that she was awake, I could touch her everywhere without fear of waking her. I ran my hands over her stomach, down her hip, then turned her to face me. I looked into her eyes and saw puzzlement, a little bit of fear and a lot of softness. I drank in the sight of her and framed her face with my hands. I gently brushed my lips with hers and gathered her more closely to me, pillowing her cheek on my shoulder.

"Why, what's going on?" Only my Babe. The only thing she likes more than food is sleep and she's fighting it at the exact time I want her to be still.

"Steph, I just want to hold you. Please."

"Ranger, you are holding me. Talking and holding are not mutually exclusive activities."

"I have to leave," I interrupted her. That quieted her as she considered what I meant by that.

"You mean…"

"I mean that I'm going to be out of town for a while, and when I get back I think we should keep some space between us. What we have now, it's only confusing you and stopping you from getting on with your life."

"What we have now?" Steph asked, her voice rising with every word. "Like how you're in my bed? Do you think that could possibly confuse me?"

Oh, shit. I knew what had to be done, but I couldn't tell her the truth because she'd just go after Suvajian with both guns blazing. Why did I come here? Because you couldn't leave without seeing her, a voice inside me whispered.

"This is the way it has to be, Steph. Don't think I like it, but there's no choice."

"Ranger, what's going on? Is there someone after you?"

Thank God, a question I could answer honestly. "No, that's not it."

"But you're leaving."

"Yes."

"And you came to see me before you left."

Where was she going with this? "Yes."

"Why?"

Oh, she was going to hate this. "To tell you to fix things with Morelli. To not wait 'till it's too late."

"I'm sorry – haven't we had this conversation already? Only this time I didn't get the fucking before I got the fucking. Don't you think we're a little past this?"

"It's the way it has to be. Don't make this any harder. Morelli will keep you… will make you happy." I changed my sentence in midstream, then got up off the bed and put my boots back on. I was a little past the bedroom door when I paused and stood there for a minute. I heard her and turned to catch her as she threw herself at my chest and grabbed my shoulders. She wrapped her long legs around my waist and slid her arms around my neck.

"I don't understand," she kissed me. My God, I love her lips. "I don't want you to leave me; please don't go." She put her fingers to my lips. "No more words."

Her fingers slid into my hair and she placed open kisses along my neck. I reached for her arms to pull them back. I couldn't do this knowing I was leaving. She looked into my eyes, unwrapped her legs from my waist and slid her body down mine until she was on her knees in front of me. Before I could stop her, she had my pants unzipped and her lips on my cock. And I was lost. In her mouth. In her softness. In the incredible feeling of being with her, inside her. Some part of me knew it was wrong, but I couldn't stop. She sensed my acquiescence and I felt her smile. Her hands pulled my pants down, slid back over my hips and her nails dug into my ass. Her tongue, oh, God, her wicked tongue swirled around the tip, then licked its way down my shaft, pausing to gently nibble here and there. Every thought, every feeling I had was concentrated in my cock and what she was doing to it. She slid her fingers around me at the base and stroked, slipping the other hand to cup my balls, feeling them slide between her fingers. I could see her lips stretched over me as she sucked me in and moaned; I could feel the vibrations of her throat streak right through me. My hands buried themselves in her hair, her curls lacing themselves in my fingers. I felt my balls tighten and my body start to tingle; I wasn't going to last long.

"Christ….Babe," I reached down for her – I wanted to bury myself in her and feel her wrap her long legs around my waist.

She shook her head and ran one hand around my hips to my ass, holding me close to her, digging her with her nails. She looked up at me and her tongue darted out and played with just the head, licking it like I was her favorite ice cream cone. I could watch her all day long.

"I want you to come in my mouth; I want to taste you."

I almost lost it right then and there. Jesus Christ she was hot. I felt her lips slide over me and take me deep, her tongue caressing the ridges underneath as her lips sucked me. I could feel my orgasm start deep inside me as my whole body shook with anticipation.

"Babe, Steph, fuck, oh God, Babe," I sputtered mindlessly as the incredible feeling of release washed over me. She took everything I gave her, and then licked me clean, her pink, wet tongue darting out. I fell back against the wall as my legs gave out and I fought to control my breathing. I had never been with anyone that made me lose control like this and I wasn't sure I liked it. Oh, who was I fucking kidding – I would give up everything I owned to have her in my bed and my life, but I couldn't. Abruptly I remembered why I was here. Fuck. What the fuck did I just do?

He drove by her apartment building slowly and smiled when he saw the car there. He knew it would be there. Well, he didn't know, but he had put his plan in motion and knowing Ranger, he could predict that he would need to see her. He thought suddenly that a reminder would work wonders, and an idea came to him. He drove home and got what he needed, then returned to Steph's, parking a block away. Quickly, silently, he dropped it at her door, rang the doorbell, and melted into the shadows of the stairwell, disappearing.

TBC – if everyone likes it…


	3. Chapter 3

_**Bad Decisions**_

_**Karen**_

Usual disclaimer applies – all Janet's, only playing, will return, except for you know who.

A/N: Thank you Lisa for your invaluable and always available assistance and encouragement

Thank you Stephannie for the help and the dialogue.

A little more angst, sorry.

CHAPTER THREE

I was still on my knees, my arms were wrapped around Ranger's thighs, and his hands were idly playing with my hair as his breathing slowed when the doorbell rang. "Oh, Christ," I groaned. "Joe." A flash of guilt zipped right through me. Even though I had told him I needed time to think about us after our last "discussion" I still wasn't exactly sure where we were in the dysfunctional little drama we liked to call a relationship. And I certainly didn't want to deal with the temper explosion that he didn't really have the right to display right now. Oh, well. I got up and fixed my clothing and Ranger did the same. He had a funny expression on his face, but one problem at a time. I opened the door and looked around, but there was no one there. "Hmph!" I thought.

"Babe?"

"No one's there. Uh-oh." I reached down and picked up the envelope on the floor. "Someone left a present." I opened the envelope and a picture fell out. A picture of me. And not a bad one. No blood, no body parts missing. Hell, my hair even looked good. "It's a picture of me. Look."

I held it up to Ranger and gasped. I had thought I had seen every expression in his small repertoire, but even I couldn't put a title on this one. Terror, hatred, and something else flew across his face before the blank face slammed down and he reached for the picture. He gripped it so hard his knuckles were white and I could see he was holding back some strong emotions. What the fuck was going on? I reached for him, but he turned away from me.

"Ranger?" my voice was hesitant – he never turned away from me.

"Steph," his voice sounded rough with emotion before he cleared his throat. He dropped his head and took a deep breath, clenching his fists by his side. "Stephanie, I'm sorry about what happened here tonight, but it doesn't change anything – I have to leave. It's for the best – you need some space."

"Space, space??" I stuttered. "You just had your cock down my throat, and now you want space?"

"I'm sorry – I didn't mean to let it go that far, it wasn't fair, but you didn't give me much of an opportunity to say no. I have to go." Ranger paused at the door before delivering his next line. "You need to fix your relationship with Morelli."

I stared at him, speechless for a second. "I don't want Morelli, l want you. I…" I couldn't say it. Why had it been easy for me to initiate sex, but impossible to tell him how I felt about him.

And I was glad then, because his next words were, "No, you don't. I can't do it, Steph."

"What the fuck Ranger? What the hell is going on?"

"Steph, don't be making conspiracies where there are none. It's not like this was any more than a physical attraction – let's not make a big deal of it."

She stared desperately at him, her mind clutching at mental straws. "You said earlier that you didn't like it – you didn't want to have to leave. What about that?"

His eyes blazed and I could see the emotion in them. Anger, maybe, because I was using his own words against him. His mouth thinned and I knew I wouldn't like what was next. "I don't want to leave, especially when I can get the service I received here tonight. Now I really need to go." He looked into her eyes and saw the anger, the shock and the hurt, but it was the undeniable love underneath it that was killing him. If he stayed a minute longer, he wouldn't leave, and he couldn't deliberately put her in the path of another psycho. His arm twitched the slightest bit, and then he abruptly turned and walked out my door and as it later turned out, out of my life.

I stared at the door for the longest time, then slowly slid down the wall till I was sitting on the floor, my arms wrapped around my knees, the taste of him still in my mouth. "Oh, my God," I jumped up and just made it to the kitchen to throw up in the sink. The tears that I had held back overflowed my eyes as my mind replayed the scene that had just taken place. I heard a sound of moaning and realized it was me. I sat back down on the floor and my eyes looked desperately left, right, anywhere, as my mind slowly shut down and turned itself off from the pain. I grabbed Rex's cage and put it on the floor next to me, then curled myself around it, pillowed my head on my hands, and, after a very long, tortured time, fell uneasily asleep.

§§§§§§

Joe Morelli awoke to the sound of banging on his front door. He looked out his bedroom window and raised his eyebrows. "What the hell?" He walked downstairs and opened the front door.

"Manoso."

"Morelli. I'm leaving town. Steph's picked up another stalker, but I think the situation will resolve itself on its own. She knows nothing about it. I'm giving the responsibility of keeping her safe to you."

"What? What the fuck is this bullshit? What do you mean it will resolve itself on its own – because you're out of town?"

Ranger just stared at him. "Will you keep her safe?"

"Well, I'm not going to put her in the line of fire like you do. Of course I will keep her safe – that's what people that love each other do. But I guess you wouldn't know about that."

Joe took a step back as Ranger's expression darkened and his lips thinned.

"Just do it, Morelli."

Joe watched Ranger stalk to his car and slowly closed the front door, lost in thought. A smile played around his lips as the thought of Ranger completely out of his way penetrated. He made his way back up to his bedroom and his bed and closed his eyes, immediately asleep.

§§§§§§

I awoke slowly, feeling a heaviness in my chest, knowing something was wrong. The events of the previous night flooded my mind and the pain hit me like a bat to the head. My body felt empty, like there was no feeling inside; no me inside. I had never felt this before – this feeling that half of me was gone, this terrible hollowness inside me like all the emotion had been sucked out of me. Even my divorce hadn't hurt this much. Tears fell from my eyes without me even knowing it. I raised my head a few inches, then dropped it back down. I couldn't summon the energy to get up or care what time it was. I stared vacantly at the kitchen cabinets, until I eventually closed my eyes and drifted back off to sleep.

A noise at my door awoke me and I turned my head to the sound. The locks tumbled and my door opened. Hope flared within me, then I heard him.

"Cupcake?"

My head dropped back down to my hands and I resumed staring at the cabinets. I didn't care what he wanted – if he thought I wasn't here, maybe he would go. I heard footsteps walk toward my bedroom, then turn.

"Jesus Christ, Stephanie. Are you okay?" He dropped to his knees and strong arms reached down and picked me up, gathering me to him. "What the hell? Are you sick? What's wrong? Steph, talk to me."

"Joe, just leave me alone. I'm fine." Talking was an effort I cared not to make. Having company wasn't in my plan, either.

"Are you crazy? I'm not leaving you alone like this. Come on." He got to his feet and lifted me up, bringing me to the couch to sit on his lap. He cuddled me to his chest and stroked my hair. Guilt, heavy as a lead brick, invaded my body, but even that couldn't overcome the emptiness of my soul. I leaned on Joe's chest and more tears flowed out. His arms held me and his hands continued to stroke my hair as I continued to cry all over his shirt.

§§§§§§

I wish that I could tell you that I picked myself up, dusted myself off and continued on with my life, but I can't. Honestly, I wished, for the first time in my life, that I could just die. Not painfully or anything, I just wished I could disappear and not have to deal with the pain of losing Ranger. For some reason, Joe had been there for me and not complained at all. I never talked to him about what was wrong, but he knew that Ranger was gone, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together. But since both Joe and I have advanced degrees in denial and avoidance, the reasons for my behavior never came up.

Two months had gone by since Ranger had left. I rolled over in my bed and stared at my alarm clock. Time to get up for work. Everyday got a little easier. I still liked my job, Connie and Lula made me laugh and I still had the Merry Men to call for backup when I needed it, but I didn't much – it hurt too much to see them and wonder what they were thinking.

I had spent a lot of time thinking about that picture of me and what it meant. No one had sent me another or contacted me in any way; but I wondered why the picture had affected Ranger the way it did. Without any information to go on, and no picture, I wasn't getting very far with my thoughts. I was down to my last resort of calling Tank, but I didn't think I'd get very far with that – the man had "silent mode" down to a fine art.

§§§§

I walked into the office like I do everyday and snagged another donut before putting the box on Connie's desk.

"So we were thinking of drowning ourselves in margaritas tonight. Sound good?" Lula asked around a mouthful of maple frosted.

"Joe asked me out – we're going to dinner at that new place on the river."

"Spending a lot of time with Joe."

"Yeah, I guess." I shrugged. He was there for me and was a good friend. We liked the same things and knew the same people. When something funny happened in the paper, we often knew the people or knew of them. We had shared history; it was…comfortable. Nothing wrong with comfortable. I had tried passion and fireworks and it bit me in the ass, slapped my face, and sent me home. I was sticking with comfortable.

I checked my files and made a plan for the day. Lula and I got in the car, she changed the radio to an earsplitting rap station with enough bass to break windows, and we motored off to pick up some FTA's.

§§§§

Gregory Suvajian lay on his bunk in the jail, planning his next move. He still needed to get that safe deposit box key from Sondra, then he was outta here. That is, if everything had worked out okay. If it didn't, he had taped the last conversation with him and it wasn't something that could be publicized without major repercussions, and not for himsef. He didn't think he had anything to worry about, but you never knew. He smiled. He was a lucky son of a bitch. He always had been. His connections had come through again.

§§§§

Judge Peterson was pissed. He sat in Courtroom A, clad in his black robes, his white hair neatly trimmed and his red bow-tie aligned perfectly under his chin. His voice shook with anger as he slammed his gavel down and stalked into his office, having just summoned both attorneys in the matter of the State of NJ vs. Gregory Suvajian.

"This should have been dealt with before we got to trial." Judge Peterson yelled at both attorneys. "Chain of evidence is a basic concept that I believe they teach at the Police Academy. How did the evidence get lost?"

"Apparently there was a mix-up with another case and a similar briefcase was placed in the box for this case, but it was the wrong one. Defense attorney Venter inspected the evidence this morning and his client pointed out that it was the wrong briefcase. We checked the prints and he was right." The state prosecutor was similarly pissed. He had wanted Suvajian put away, and now it wasn't going to happen. They had no solid evidence against him anymore.

"Where is the one from this case?"

"We are unable to locate it at this time."

"Who was the arresting police officer? I assume he would have logged in the evidence."

"Officer Joseph Morelli. He says he placed the briefcase in the evidence bin for this case when he arrested him."

Judge Peterson rubbed his chin. "Where's the heroin that was in the briefcase?"

"It's in the evidence box. We still have that. But there are no fingerprints on it and no way to tie it to Suvajian."

"Shit. You know I'm going to have to dismiss the case. You've asked for one," he said, nodding to Venter. "There's no other evidence against him. Well, gentlemen, this is a fine day for justice. I hope you talk to Officer Morelli's superiors about this."

"Well, your Honor, it wasn't necessarily his fault. He could have put the briefcase in the wrong box accidentally, or someone could have switched them."

"Do you have any evidence of tampering by another party?"

"No, but I was just pointing out.."

"Anything's possible," the judge interrupted his prosecutor. "What's most likely is that Morelli made a stupid mistake, or that he's dirty. But if he were dirty, he would have taken the heroin. So that leaves sheer stupidity." The judge shook his head and the attorneys left his office.

The courtroom fell silent as the judge re-entered. "I believe we have a motion pending – one for dismissal. Due to the lack of evidence in this case, I have no choice but to grant Mr. Venter's motion. I fully believe, sir," the judge said, looking straight at Suvajian, "that I will see you again, and next time you won't be so lucky."

Suvajian grinned at the judge and shook his attorney's hand. He left the courtroom. He still had a safe deposit key to retrieve and a plane to catch. His eyes scanned the lobby area outside the courtroom and widened at the sight of Joe Morelli sitting on the bench. He gave him a big smile and a wave.

"Hey, thanks, man." He tossed the words over to Joe with a smile.

"Just get out of town, Suvajian, and don't come back."

"Oh, don't you worry, Joe, I got me some plans that don't include Trenton. It's a little too hot for me here, if you know what I mean." Suvajian laughed heartily as he walked away a free man, down the stairs and out the courthouse door.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

_**Bad Decisions**_

_**Karen**_

The usual disclaimer applies – all Janet's, only playing, will return, except for you know who.

A/N: Thank you Lisa and Stephannie for your help and suggestions.

Rating: R – Adult situations and language

**CHAPTER FOUR**

The hostess escorted Joe and I to our table right next to the window. We could see the river's waves beat themselves against the bank, only to retreat and try again. The restaurant was beautiful, with subdued lighting and famous art reproductions along the walls. The table was covered in a cream damask tablecloth and the heavy silverware and crystal reflected the light of the candle in the center. The scent of fresh flowers drifted over to me and I inhaled.

Joe smiled at me, motioned to the waiter, who brought over a wine stand with a bottle on ice. From the pop, I knew it was champagne, and the waiter did the smell, sip, check thing with Joe, then filled my glass. Joe picked his up and toasted me. "To happiness. Mine, yours and ours."

"What a sweet toast, Joe." I took a sip. I wasn't much of a champagne person, but this was good, yummy in fact.

"Steph, I've known you most of my life. We've had our ups and downs, but we've always come back to each other. I like to think that is because we're made for each other, that we belong together."

Tears stung my eyes because I had foolishly entertained the same notion of belonging to someone, but it hadn't been him.

I resolutely pushed those thoughts away, because I was afraid I knew where Joe was going with this. "Joe," I began hesitantly…

Joe got up and kneeled down next to me. He held up a jewelry box and opened it with a flick of his finger. His mouth had just opened when an earsplitting shriek echoed off the ceiling.

"Oh, my God, look, he's proposing to Steph!" I turned my head to see my sister Valerie and Albert seated at a table across the way. As I looked around, I saw that we were the focus of everyone's attention now. Shit.

Joe looked around and grinned. "Well, Cupcake, I didn't think I would be doing this in front of an audience, but I think they're all interested now. I love you, Cupcake. We're good together – he winked – and I know we'll be happy together. We want the same things and we come from the same place – we know each other and make each other happy. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

I looked at him. What was up with that wink? Is it normal to reference one's sex life in a marriage proposal? Shouldn't it be normal to be excited about a marriage proposal? I couldn't muster up any excitement at all, but nor could I find the will or energy to cause a scene by declining in the middle of a restaurant. I scanned the restaurant, looking for something, someone to save me, but there was no one there. I heaved a sigh and stared at Joe. Comfortable. Why did that feel dangerously close to settling. I didn't want to hurt Joe's feelings. He had been there for me in the last couple of months, and we had easily dropped back into a familiar pattern. He still didn't like my job, but hated it less now that Ranger wasn't around. A flash of pain tore through me and I closed my eyes briefly, pushing that thought away. I had boxed Ranger up and put him on a shelf that could only be taken down with a gallon of ice cream and a load of Kleenex, and now was not the time.

"Cupcake?" Joe's smile was faltering and he grasped my hand in his.

I took a deep breath and caved, figuring at least I would please my mother this time."Sure, Joe. It sounds like a good idea to me."

He leaped up and grabbed my left hand and slid the ring on my finger. Valerie rushed over to the table and kissed me. "What does the ring look like? Let me see!" I felt like telling her that she could wear the damn thing since she was so excited, but figured that wasn't the correct thing to say in this situation.

"Oh, Steph, it's beautiful." I looked down at the diamond on my finger and felt panic rise inside of me. I pushed it down and pasted a smile on my face for her and for Joe."

"Oh, yes, isn't it?" I responded.

My eye was caught by a flash of black-clad muscle that was walking around the perimeter of the room, cell phone held to an ear. I recognized Lester, but I didn't know his date who was channeling Barbie in her appearance, and I wasn't sure if he saw me. I dropped my head for a minute against the pain, then lifted it. Life goes on, Steph, I reminded myself. And now I have a brand new adventure ahead of me. At least my mother would be pleased, I repeated to myself.

We finished dinner, interrupted a few times by well-wishers who had witnessed the proposal and wanted to offer their congratulations. If I didn't look the part of the ridiculously excited bride-to-be, they didn't say anything, probably attributing it to shock. I knew my cell phone and my house phone would be ringing off the hook soon, so I turned my cell off as we were leaving.

Joe slipped an arm around me and stroked the side of my breast. "Looking for some quiet time with me, Cupcake? It will be our first time as an engaged couple."

Panic shot through me and I felt a little lightheaded so I reached out for his arm to steady myself. Engaged? I looked down at my hand and stared at the ring on my finger. Omigod, what have I done?

§§§§

My phone buzzed on my hip for about the hundredth time that day. It had been the shittiest of days – one of our clients had a break-in, we lost a skip worth 75K and now the monitors were screwing up. Quite honestly, I was sick of running the office and just wanted to go home, shower off and watch a movie with Lula. She always calms me; she's my peace of mind. I shook my head and checked my phone display. Ranger. Jesus Christ – I've talked to him more since he's been away that I ever have when he was here.

"What's up, boss?"

"I just heard that Suvajian got off on a technicality. Has he contacted Steph?"

"No, haven't heard a thing. We don't hear from her much, but I would probably find out from Lula, too. Which you could, too, if you were back in town."

"You know why I have to stay away – I don't want Suvajian thinking we're together in any way and it would be impossible to stay away from her if I were in town. I don't want it put out that she's not under my protection anymore, but if I'm not around, it won't get talked about as much. I need to keep her safe."

I wondered if Ranger knew how much he just gave away to me by telling me he wouldn't be able to stay away from her. This was no conquest to him, no entertaining diversion. He was in deep. I pushed my thoughts aside because Ranger was still talking.

"I know we've gone over this before, but something about that night is bothering me still. It's something he said."

"Ranger, we've gone over this a hundred times. I don't remember him saying anything that struck me as weird – just the usual bullshit threats and what's he gonna do when he gets out…shit, I got another call, it's Lester, hold on a sec."

"Talk." I barked into the phone.

"Hey, Bombshell update. It ain't good."

Fuck. The topper to this day would be to have to explain to Ranger that Steph was hurt.

"What happened now?"

"She got engaged."

Double, triple fuck. This was not going to go over well at all. Why couldn't it be an exploding car, truck or warehouse? There was no way I could hide this one.

"All right, thanks, I'll take it from here."

"Sure man, see you tomorrow."

I clicked back to Ranger.

"Yo."

"Hey man, just got some bad info on Steph."

Silence for a minute, then his voice slowly responded. "Yeah. What is it?"

No real way to cushion this, I thought. "She got engaged."

Silence again on the other end, then the connection was broken. Somehow I didn't think he just hung up, either. I was thinking he was going to have to replace the one he probably just threw against the wall. I didn't know how this whole thing was going to end, but I knew it wasn't going to be pretty. I knew why Ranger was staying away and I knew he was killing himself trying to find out why Suvajian would have threatened her just because of him. He didn't have any prior history with him; we had never picked him up before. He was far more likely to have known Steph – he grew up in the Burg, but was a couple of years older.

§§§§§§

A dark figure moved stealthily along Pier 36, gun loosely held in his hand, eyes continuously checking the surrounding area. He paused behind one of the pilings, fading into the darkness, and his eyes swept the planned meeting place at the edge of the pier. The low droning sound he heard he tracked to the water and he slowly moved to the edge of the dock, eyes straining to see through the inky black of the moonless night. The sound grew slightly louder and soon he could make out the long, lean boat as it glided closer to the dock. He checked out the vessel's lines and silently whistled – she was a beauty. A 30 foot Cigarette racing boat, with triple 250hp outboards – when he finished this deal, he was gonna get one of those babies.

"Grab this line," a low voice spoke and a line was thrown to the dock. A dark figure swung himself up from the boat and finished securing the lines. "You know the deal?"

"Yeah, 100K apiece. I got 25 and you want them all."

" What's the guarantee they work?"

"My rep. This ain't fucking Sears you know. No return policy and I don't advertise in the Sunday paper. I rely on word of mouth, so I have to supply a working product. They've been tested. Now, when and where?"

The man looked out at the harbor. "I need to get them offshore – I'll be transporting them in this boat"

"No, I have a better idea. They'll be coming here by boat, so we'll just switch. That way there's no loading time."

"This here's a state of the art racing boat – you make sure I get the same, or you're on the hook for a couple hundred g's."

Suvajian calculated quickly. The guns were stored right now on a boat, but it wasn't as nice as this one.

"75 g's and you got a deal."

"Fuck off, asshole, this ain't a flea market. 100 – take it or leave it."

"Fine, I'll take it. Be here at this dock day after tomorrow. Midnight. The money will need to be wired to an offshore account. This is the number." Greg handed the man a piece of paper. When we meet, the transfer will take place once you inspect the cargo. I will check with my bank and as long as the money's there, you will have your instant army."

"I'll arrange things from my end."

The man slipped back into the boat, untied the lines and motored away. Suvajian admired the lines of the boat once more, then silently moved to the shadows and disappeared down the street, only stopping when he reached the first bar he came to.

The bartender at The Oar surreptitiously studied her newest customer. Superficially handsome with curly dark brown hair cropped short and a large build, he had a quality of cockiness that annoyed her. His pale blue eyes intercepted her stare and he smirked at her.

"Probably thinks I was checking him out," the bartender thought. "Loser."

Suvajian checked out the bartender and noticed her staring and he sat back a little and stuck out his chest. He knew the ladies liked him, and after he made this score, he was going to be a big man on campus, that was for sure. He thought about his life and how lucky he was. Connections, he thought, not for the first time, it all boiled down to connections and how you use them. If he wasn't friends with Ernie at Fort Dix, who owed too much money to his bookie and needed fast cash to get out of town, he wouldn't have been able to arrange this opportunity. He used most of his savings from his safe deposit box and gave Ernie money to disappear. Ernie gave him the key to the munitions building, a truck, and his uniform. Really, a total lack of respect for Uncle Sam, that's what Ernie showed.

And if something bad happened to him, he always had his insurance policy – like a get out of jail free card. Another connection, he laughed silently to himself.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

_**Bad Decisions**_

_**Karen**_

Usual disclaimer applies – all Janet's, only playing, will return, except for you know who.

A/N: Thank you Lisa for your invaluable and always available assistance and encouragement. You're a great person.

Thank you Stephannie for the help and the great suggestions.

Rating: R – Adult stuff

**CHAPTER FIVE**

At a popular Newark bar named Waterfalls, since five o'clock, three women were enjoying some after work cocktails and the companionship of good friends. Currently, they were also enjoying the view at the end of the bar in the shape of a man who had one foot on the bar railing and had one hip leaning against the bar itself. His hair was a tousled mass of sun-streaked strands, his eyes as green as the Heineken bottle he held in his long fingers. Lethal cheekbones topped indentations on the sides of his mouth that hinted at dimples. His muscular body gave off the aura of an enormous amount of energy contained in a small space. Combustible.

"Look at those fingers – long and thick - you know what they say about that," one of the women said slyly.

He caught their eyes and a smile curved his full lips; the resulting brilliant flash of white framed by an incredible set of dimples causing one of the women to release her drink in mid-sip, the glass crashing to the table in a shower of glass shards and strawberry margarita. He shook his head and turned away, plowing a hand through his tobacco colored hair, his eyes searching the room. He saw the group he was looking for and raised a hand, then immediately turning around, his hand coming up to his waist, palm up, blocking the punch that was headed his way. A grin split his features as he acknowledged the foiled assault. "One for me, Ranger."

"Glad to see the FBI hasn't softened you up, Cat."

Cat looked around and the men all slapped backs. He stepped up to the bar, reached in his pocket and took out a coin and slammed in on the bar. "Coin check!"

"Oh, shit, man," Tank grumbled, checking his pockets along with the rest of the group. One by one they placed their coins on the bar until only Lester was left.

"Fuck – I left it on the bureau at home. Goddammit. Alright – go easy on me."

The two women left were watching this scene curiously, and noticed the bartended watching also, a knowing smile on his face.

"What are they doing?" one of the women asked.

"They're all in some sort of Special Forces – it's a tradition that they carry a special coin with them at all times and anytime someone initiates a coin check, they all present them. If someone can't, they have to buy a round of drinks."

The woman who had dropped her drink stopped in front of Cat on the way back from the bathroom. "It seems only fair that you buy me a drink to replace the one I dropped, considering it was kind of your fault," she purred, tossing her auburn hair over her shoulder and placing her hand on his forearm.

"Now, Cat, have you been a bad kitty?" Lester grinned, and got her another drink.

The woman turned at his voice and looked at the group of large, muscled men. "Are you all together?" she asked faintly.

"Yes, ma'am. I grew up with Ranger, over there, and know most of the rest from the service." Her eyes followed his hand to Ranger's grin and she gasped, fingers again going limp. "I'll just take that for you. Bobby, you take this drink over to that table with the two pretty women at it and I'll escort?" He looked at her inquiringly.

"Isobel. Sorry – you're all a little overwhelming as a group."

"Isobel, then, back to her table. Perhaps she might even think kindly enough of me to give me her number so she and I can get better acquainted later on when there's not so many distractions around."

"Some things never change," Lester laughed as he left. "Pussycat's always on the prowl."

The men moved to an open table and sat down, catching up on each other's lives and arguing over current events. Eventually the talk turned to business and the reason that Cat had invited the group.

"I need you to keep an eye out for me for some possible munitions sales."

"What type?" Ranger arched an eyebrow, surprised at the request. The FBI didn't usually ask for help with many activities.

"A load of surface to air handheld missiles – Stingers - was stolen from Fort Dix two months ago. The sergeant in charge is AWOL, so we assume he is either involved or dead. Either way, we haven't found him yet. Word on the street is that a sale is about to go down and it's gonna happen here, on the waterfront."

"I haven't seen those since training," Lester exclaimed, interrupting. "Fuck, man, one of those'll take out an airplane. The range on those is about 10,000 feet, right?"

"That's what we're worried about. The crazy factor. Some idiot with a grudge wanting to make a name for himself and see his name in lights. Or just as worse, that they end up in a country not especially friendly to ours. Airliners getting shot out of the sky is not conducive to national peace."

"How many were stolen?"

"Twenty-five. As you know, they're about forty pounds apiece. That means either a truck or possibly a decent sized boat. We have possible ID on the guy that is brokering the deal – a small-timer from Trenton, which is partially why I called you. The other reason is that you already asked me about him a few weeks ago."

Ranger's expression hardened and his eyes bored into Cat's. "Suvajian."

"Yeah – the proverbial bad penny. Now at least you got the whole FBI looking for him. But you never told me why you wanted him."

"He's caused some trouble for a friend of mine."

"Do I know him?"

"Her, and no, you haven't met her."

"Do I want to?"

"Back off, Cat."

"Come on, Ranger, you holding out on me?"

Cat stared at Ranger's blank face keenly, but briefly, knowing it was useless to get anything out of him that way. He was curious, though, to meet the woman who had Ranger tight-lipped. Usually the guys were pretty free with the descriptions.

"Is this that bounty hunter that Celia mentioned a while back? Blows shit up all the time?"

"How's your fucking love life? You want to go into that?"

"Well, there were these kick ass twins last weekend. I was thinking of calling you, but decided to be greedy and keep them all for myself. I have a whole new appreciation for synchronized sports, let me tell you. They did _everything_ together." Cat's eyes danced mischievously.

"Fuck man, Ranger would've turned you down, but I would have taken one for the team. Next time you call me direct. I'm having a little dry spell right now – working too much." Lester looked seriously put out that he had missed the twins.

"Are we here to talk about business or whine about missing a little booty and how hard the schedule is? I hear McDonald's is hiring if you aren't happy, Santos." Tank had seen Ranger's eyes and knew he was on the edge.

"Alright, before Ranger has a coronary, here's the deal. We know the guns are missing and we think they're going to change hands within the week. No one wants to hang on to these – it's too hot around here, everyone's looking for them. Obviously, this needs to be kept quiet – the Army is not pleased that the theft occurred and don't want it publicized. We need to keep surveillance on the piers around the clock – we can't miss this guy."

The men finished their evening with a couple more rounds and completing plans for the upcoming operation. Lester, Tank, Bobby and Hal said goodbye and got in Tank's black Navigator and headed back to RangeMan. Ranger and Cat sat back down at the table.

"You look like shit, Ric – what the hell's going on? Suvajian is a small-timer. You said you hadn't come across him before. Why's he giving you trouble?"

"We picked him up as an FTA a few weeks ago and he threatened Stephanie. He knew details about her apartment, her family – he had put some effort into it. Then there was another threat related to the first, but he couldn't have delivered it – he had to have help. So he's working with someone and I have no idea who, or why. It seems to be related to me, but how? It's driving me crazy. I don't have a connection to any of his known associates."

"So what have you done?"

"I have stayed away from her and from Trenton. Nothing else has happened, but he has just gotten off on a stupid chain of evidence fuck-up, so he's out again."

"How has she taken the staying away thing?"

"She got engaged to her boyfriend."

"What?"

"It's complicated."

"Ric, we've known each other since we were kids. You can bullshit most people, but I can tell there's something else here. Does this woman know you love her? Don't give me the fucking look, it's pretty obvious from your actions and what you haven't said. Does she?"

Ranger looked at the man across from him. From the time he was a kid, it was always him and Cat. Duke Robitaille had a long, lean body and had a talent for moving silently, his body making not a sound as he slipped behind people and then popped up, scaring them half to death. That same talent served him well as they aged and experimented with some unsavory and sometimes illegal activities. When he was eight, his mother had died suddenly, and most days he would show up at Ric's house, and wait on the front porch. Ric's mom would open the door and exclaim that he was like a cat coming over for food, and the name had stuck. As he had gotten older and the girls had begun to notice his build, his strong, rakish features and the irresistible deep dimples that were often seen because he loved to laugh and was a natural born charmer, he had taken full advantage of their interest, and his friends changed his name to PussyCat for obvious reasons. The name fit him so well that he had kept it when he entered the Navy. Cat had always had his back and he trusted him.

"You know from the SEALS the crazies we meet up with. Steph collects crazies on her own and I can't take the chance of adding mine and painting a bigger target on her. The life I lead…it's not…I'm not relationship material."

"You know, bounty hunting is not exactly a common profession for a young woman who wants to settle down and have kids, you know? Or is it just a side thing for her until she gets married?"

"No, she likes it and she's good at it in a strange sort of way." 

"Well, maybe she's not interested in a man with a normal lifestyle."

"She got engaged quickly enough."

"You left, man. Did you leave on good terms?"

Ranger winced and looked away. "Not exactly. I hurt her badly. Things got carried away and…well, I just left."

"You fucked her and ran? Good luck fixing that one. Major groveling is in your future, Ric."

"I don't know if even that would work. What's important is that I keep her safe, no matter what."

"You got it bad, man."

§§§§§§§

I parked my SUV at Pino's to pick up the order. We had relaxed Ranger's rules on eating for Friday's while he was away, preferring to get takeout from Pino's or Shorty's. Even if we hadn't, today would be a greasy lunch day after last night.

I walked in and saw Steph sitting with Morelli and Big Dog at a booth. She looked up and saw me and gave a small wave, but she's no good at hiding her emotions and I could see the instant the pain hit her before she smiled to cover it up. She turned to Joe briefly and then got up and walked to the ladies room.

"Hey, Tank, my man – what's going on?" Big Dog lightly punched me in the arm. He gestured to the booth and I slid in to wait for my order.

"Same old, same old. You?"

"Too bad about that scum Suvajian getting off."

I remembered that Ranger had said he grew up in the Burg. "You guys know him growing up?"

'Nah, he was a year ahead of me – you knew him, right?" he lifted his chin to Morelli, questioning, but continuing to talk. "I saw him at the courthouse talking shit to you after he got off. Piece of shit. We'll get him next time, though. He'll be back in the system before too long."

I nodded. Some people just never flew straight – it's like they were programmed to lead fucked up lives or something.

"Heard from Ranger?" Morelli interjected. I looked at him. Where the hell did that come from? And why did he care? And what was with him – he looked like he was going to be sick or something.

I saw Anthony wave to me and got to my feet. "Pizza's ready – see you around." I walked out to my car, thinking. I turned around when I heard running feet. Oh, fuck, just what I needed. I was no good at these confrontations.

"Tank." Steph stopped and looked at me, her eyes shining with unshed tears. She shook her head as if to clear it. "Tank, I need to know. The night Ranger left - someone left a picture of me at my door and I've never seen Ranger come closer to flipping out. Do you know anything about it?"

Another picture? Well, this was interesting. "What was the picture of?"

"Just a picture of me in front of my apartment holding my shoulder bag. Nothing special."

Hmm. This was curious. It sounded like the same picture that Suvajian had shown us the night we captured him, but he was in jail that night. So he did have people watching Steph? But why? I shook my head. This wasn't making any sense. Why the fuck would Suvajian threaten Steph, then never do anything about it? I sighed. I would have to talk to Ranger – assuming, that is, that he had replaced his phone by now.

"Steph, I don't really know anything. If I hear something, I'll give you a call."

Her voice shook. "Sure, Tank."

"Cupcake? Pizza's on the table." Joe stood in the doorway, looking daggers at me.

"Oh, okay, Joe. Take care, Tank." She patted me on the arm and slowly walked back to Joe. He slid an arm around her shoulders and led her inside.

I swore under my breath; what a fucked up situation this had turned into.

§§§§

I woke up the next morning at Joe's to an empty bed – he was gone early as usual - and I rolled over and stared at the ceiling. If I thought my life was a mess before with my being torn between two men, this was infinitely worse. I had said yes to a proposal that came from a man I loved, a man whom I had known for most of my life, but I wasn't happy or excited about it. I wasn't into planning a wedding, much less being a bride. And what if it were Ranger you were marrying? A little voice whispered inside my head. I felt myself flush and a warmth spread inside me. I think my mother would still be doing all the planning, but I'd be looking forward to our life together, not feeling like I was being caught and tagged. I'd also be spending a lot of time thinking about the wedding night. I consciously changed my thoughts, putting Ranger thoughts into a box and shoving it deep into the darkest closet my mind could find. The sane part of me knew that part of my life was over, but the Wonder Woman in me was waiting for his return, waiting for him to sweep me away with a swirl of his cape and help me escape from this prison I had built for myself. After, of course, he explained his behavior the night he left and let me torture him for a long period of time. I heaved myself out of bed and walked downstairs and poured some semi-warm coffee. My cell rang and I checked the readout. Valerie.

"Stephanie, tell me you have a camera. I need to take pictures of the kids for a school project – they each have to do a scrapbook page and I need to print out pictures like yesterday. Tell me you have a camera."

"I don't – well, I do, but I'm at Joe's; but I think Joe has a digital one, I've seen him use it for work. I don't know if he leaves it here or not. Let me have a quick look around. I'll call you right back."

I checked the obvious places you would put a camera – drawers, closets, etc.. and finally found it in the closet in his bedroom, in a camera bag. He had just gotten it a few months ago and had spent some time learning about all its features. It was one of those digital cameras with lots of bells and whistles, but was still small enough to put in a large pocket. I looked at it and turned it on. I stretched my arm way out and faced the camera to me and snapped a picture. I poked at a few buttons and finally figured out how to look at the picture. Hmm, note to self: brush hair before attempting any photographs. I pushed the button to look at the previous picture and stared at the image on the screen. 

"What the hell?"

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

_**Bad Decisions**_

_**Karen**_

Usual disclaimer applies – all Janet's, only playing, will return, except for you know who.

Lisa – couldn't do this without your words of encouragement – thank you

Rating: R – smut/language

**CHAPTER SIX**

Tank got back to the office with the pizza and left it with the guys. He went to his office and dialed Ranger.

"Yeah."

"Ran into Steph at Pino's. She asked me about the picture. I also ran into Big Dog and Morelli. He was saying how Suvajian gave Morelli a bad time about the evidence fuck-up after he got off…." He stopped in mid-sentence as his mind started making a connection. From the swearing on the other end, Ranger had made it too.

"Tank – got off. That's what's been bothering me. That night, Suvajian said that he was going to go after Steph when he got off. Not when he got out – but when he got off. Like he knew the charge wasn't going to stick. What's the deal with the picture, though? Wait a sec, I have another call. Fuck."

Ranger looked at the caller ID and his pulse leaped. He smiled in spite of himself. It had been so long since that number had shown on his phone. He made the connection, took a breath, and answered softly.

"Babe."

Tears immediately welled up in my eyes and inside me my heart felt squeezed so tight I couldn't breathe for a minute. I had missed hearing that. With everything I had, I had missed him. I blinked back the tears, visualized the words "it's just a physical attraction", pictured him saying them to me, and concentrated on my question.

"Ranger, why is the picture that was left at my doorstep on Joe's camera?"

Sweet Christ, was Morelli behind this? A million thoughts ran through Ranger's head and he made a quick decision.

"Babe, I don't have time to explain. I need you to go to RangeMan right now and see Tank. Don't leave until I get there."

"No, not until you tell me what's going on. I called you because you're the only one who can tell me. You don't get to tell me what to do."

"I'm only starting to figure it out now, but we need to work on it together. Suvajian's out there somewhere and I don't want him to target you. Don't talk to anyone about this. Please, just do as I ask. And bring the camera."

Great, he pulls the fucking 'please' card. "Fine, I'll go, but the explanation had better be damn good."

"I'll see you there. I won't be far behind."

I switched back to Tank and filled him in.

"Holy shit, you think he could do that? What a fucking loser. That's how he knew all that stuff about Steph that night – her fire escape, Rex's name. Jesus, that 's low. How's Steph taking it?"

"I haven't gone into it with her – she's coming to Haywood and I'll be there as soon as I can."

§§§§§

I drove to RangeMan more because I didn't know what else to do rather than because I wanted to or thought I should. I thought back to the night Ranger had left, the night that the picture had been left at my door. Since I could now assume that Joe had taken that picture, I wondered why seeing it had caused such a reaction in Ranger. Because it was that picture that had changed things, had caused him to be cold, had caused him to leave me. My cell phone rang and I checked the display. Joe. Fuck.

"Joe, what's up?"

"Just on my way home and wanted to know if you wanted a pizza, or if you just wanted me."

I thought of his smile and how he had been there for me when I was a mess and sighed. Who to trust?

"I need to swing by the office for a bit, then I'll be home later."

I wondered if my voice gave my feelings away because Joe asked me if I was okay.

"Just a couple of messy skips today."

"Steph, I can't wait until we're married and I can kiss you goodbye on the front porch while you're holding our baby in your arms, and I don't have to worry about you getting into trouble."

I couldn't say anything to that because my throat had closed up in panic. This was just so wrong on so many levels I didn't know how to begin to explain it to him. But I was going to have to. 'Comfortable' might be good for me, but it wasn't fair to him. I didn't feel for him the love that sustains a marriage and I should never have said yes. But I dreaded that conversation.

"I'll see you at home, Cupcake."

I parked in the same spot I had "hidden" Ranger's truck when I was hiding from the Slayers – a couple blocks from his office. I leaned my head against the headrest and sighed. I wasn't ready to go inside and I wasn't sure I even wanted to. What I did want was to find out what the deal was with the picture and unfortunately Ranger was the only person with that information, because what I really wanted to know was why he left. I just wasn't ready to face him. A big part of me wanted to slap him and walk away, but a bigger part needed to know what was going on. But not yet. So I thought about why Joe would be following me around and snapping pictures of me. I wondered why one of the pictures was left on my doorstep. And as was usual with me, I thought myself right into a nap.

I felt a hand smoothing my hair back, then laying softly against my cheek, fingertips making lazy circles against my temple. I breathed in, smiled and made a happy, sleepy noise because I could smell an intoxicating scent; then I leaned my head in, instinctively trying to get closer. Scent is the most powerful memory trigger and I was awash in pleasure. My lips touched skin and parted, pressing small kisses while my hand slid up into soft hair that flowed between my fingers like the most precious silk. I smiled a sleepy grin, not yet awake, feeling happier than I had in a long time. And then lips touched mine and my body remembered. My lips clung to his and my hand pulled his neck in closer. His tongue slid against mine and Oh, God, how I remembered - how good he tasted, how good he felt. Then I remembered more and my body froze, my mind struggling to wake up, to surface from the pleasure-filled fog it was luxuriating in. My eyes snapped open and I stared into Ranger's face. My heart melted for an instant, so happy to see its mate, before it recalled the way it had been held up, examined, then casually tossed aside. Ranger reached up and started to tuck a curl of my hair behind my ear, but my hand came up and grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

"Don't touch me." I whispered. His face went blank and he inhaled sharply, before nodding and stepping back.

"I saw you sleeping in your car. Not the safest place for a nap, Babe."

I guessed it would be petty to demand he not call me that, but I really didn't need to hear it right now. I was feeling resentful at how one word could hit me in a warm and fuzzy place. I was sitting on my hands in my car, holding them back from reaching out to him and pulling myself into his warm embrace. There was nowhere in the world that I felt safer or more loved than in his arms. And there's my problem, because while I was safe, I wasn't loved, so why did I feel like that? And that means I can't trust myself, my feelings. My legendary spidey-sense was on the blink.

"You want to follow me in?" Ranger asked, gesturing toward his truck.

I nodded yes, and I put my left hand on the wheel and my right on the ignition key. My ring caught the sunlight and shot out a million fiery sparks. I glanced up and my eyes locked on Ranger's. His eyes talked to mine, telling me things I didn't believe and couldn't bear to listen to. I broke the connection and slid a glance toward his truck. Ranger continued to stare at me for a second, then walked to his truck and jumped in. I followed him to RangeMan, but at the last minute, as soon as his truck had cleared the gate, I swung the wheel and took off down the street. I didn't think I could stand to be in the same room with him right now. Just two minutes of contact and I was lost in his aura, his presence, and ready to beg him to hold me and make it all better. I had to remember how I felt kneeling on the floor, the taste of him in my mouth, hearing him tell me goodbye. For my own sanity, I had to.

My eyes were watery from the emotions running through me, but that didn't cause it - it wasn't my fault. The car that broadsided me had flown right through the stop sign, right into my side of the car. I saw it in slow motion coming right toward me and I had time to realize that it was going to hit me, then everything went black.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Bad Decisions**_

_**Karen**_

Usual disclaimer applies – all Janet's, only playing, will return, except for you know who.

A/N: Thank you Lisa for your invaluable and always available assistance and encouragement

Thank you Stephannie for the help and great suggestions.

Rating: R – adult situations

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

I heard beeping noises and I smelled the distinctive hospital smell that has no equal in sheer yuckiness. I was slowly surfacing from what seemed like a deep sleep, and I took stock of my situation. Toes, good. Legs, good. Arms, fingers, no good. Stuck. I opened my eyes slowly and I was hit by a wall of pain so overwhelming that I instinctively closed them again. I felt a presence next to me and lifted my eyelids slowly, testing my pain threshold. I peered at my fingers and saw a hand holding mine. I followed the hand up to the face, but I didn't have to because I knew who was next to me. I smiled.

"Babe."

"Ranger, what happened? Why am I here?"

"Car accident – you were broadsided, do you remember?"

"No, nothing. Why can't I remember it?"

"What's the last thing you remember?"

I had to concentrate and sift through the mists that were seemingly inside my brain.

"I remember going to work," I began slowly, "I saw you – you were going after Greg Suvajian – he grew up in my neighborhood, you know. I picked up Louis Frankel, drunk and disorderly. Later I was home – I ate ice cream. I remember seeing you – when did I see you? I know it wasn't for ice cream."

"Babe, don't push yourself. Just relax," he said, tightening his hand on mine, his other hand pushing my hair back and lingering at my temple.

My head was clearing a little but the pain was still a battering ram inside my head.

"Okay, I'm sure it will come to me." I said sleepily, nestling my head into his hand and breathing in the warm scent of Ranger. An image flashed into my head of me jumping into his arms and I smiled.

"I remember being in your arms – was that the same evening? Then what? Oh!" I saw myself on my knees and the rest of that night passed through my brain like an old filmstrip – one frame at a time. "Oh, my God. I…, you let me..., you said…" Words failed me as I remembered what he had said to me; I could feel my head pounding even harder and I could hear the monitor beeping like crazy. "Make it stop, it hurts," I cried, snatching my hand away from his.

"What's going on here? Move out of the way, sir!" I heard a nurse entering the room, pushing Joe to the side – when did he get here?

"Miss Plum, you need to calm down. Why wasn't I called when she woke up?" The nurse stared accusingly at Ranger. I looked on semi-interestedly – it was the first time I had seen a woman not be intimidated or overawed by Ranger. "You need to step aside," she continued.

"I want him to go. I don't want him here." I croaked.

Joe moved to my side and smiled at me.

"I'll take care of you, Cupcake. Everything will be all right." He looked up, glared at Ranger and started to say something, but had picked up my hand and then he frowned. "Where is your ring?"

The nurse had finished checking the machines, heard him and smiled. "Everything that was on her or in her car was recovered and put in that bag over there. Valuables would have been bagged and placed in her purse." She turned back to me. "And you need to stay calm. You banged your head pretty badly. I'll send in Doctor."

Joe walked over and dumped the bag on the chair, searching for my purse. A nylon bag fell to the ground and he paled, turning to look at me searchingly. I couldn't see what he was holding, but smiled at him weakly, hoping I hadn't put my gun in my purse, which would cause him to badger me on the hazards of carrying concealed. I did NOT need another lecture right now.

I shifted my glance to the left, intent on sending Ranger on his way so I could convince Joe I was okay, when I stopped in complete shock. The expression he had on his face the night he left was back and it was directed at Joe. I was confused – there was no love lost between these two men, but this hostility, this raw hatred was something new, especially from Ranger.

Joe grabbed his pager and looked at it. "Cupcake, I have to make a call, I'll be right back." He walked out still carrying the bag in his hands.

Ranger glanced my way and took in my worried look. He instantly resumed his normally blank expression, but I could still see the storm of emotion in his eyes, and it made me mad.

"Why are you here, anyway?" I asked him.

"I called the accident in. The car hit you a couple of blocks from RangeMan."

Oh. What was I doing there? This was frustrating. "I don't remember being there. I don't know why I would be." I shot him a look. "I do know I would have no reason to see you."

"Babe, it's important that you relax your mind. Everything should come back on its own. Don't worry about it. Do you remember anything from the last week, say?"

"Ranger, I have no reason to trust you, much less talk to you."

"Babe, I need you to trust me. Please. Just do this for me."

And after all that had happened and how he made me feel, the fucking 'please' still affected me. I stared at him and he stared right back, no emotion on his face, but his eyes twin pools of something that I couldn't identify, but something that touched me. And I thought that I would regret it, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt for the moment.

I thought and tried to put events in some chronological order.

"Well, I remember Joe asking me to marry him." Take that, Batman, I thought, but felt bad when I saw the flash of pain on Ranger's face. "Wait, I saw Tank at Pino's – is that right? I asked him about you…" I trailed off, not wanting him to know I still thought about him. "That's it – I don't remember anything else after that."

"That was the day before the accident." Ranger looked a little disappointed and I wondered why. Then I looked up at him.

"Why did you look at Joe like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you wanted to kill him?"

"Babe, that's a weekly thought for me. Nothing special there."

I saw a flash of white in the doorway and a very tall man in a doctor's coat strode in. His gray hair was in a crew cut and his blue eyes twinkled at me. He looked about 40 and I could glimpse some nice muscle definition under the coat. I read his coat: Dr. David Carcieri. He checked my chart, then examined my head and eyes.

"Miss Plum, how are you feeling?"

"Okay, except I have an enormous headache. And I can't remember the accident."

"Retrograde amnesia – the inability to remember events prior to an injury – is very common and usually temporary. You do remember everything up to the event?"

"No, the day before – I remember seeing a friend in a restaurant at lunchtime, then it's all a blank until now."

"I can't guarantee anything, but normally memory returns within a short time. The more you relax and don't force it, the better." He held up his hand, smiling, "And before you ask, there's no magic drug to make it happen faster." He shrugged; "Most people ask. We expect you to recover fully – we want you in the hospital tonight, then you can go home tomorrow. You'll need someone to drive you."

"Joe will – wait a minute, where did Joe go?"

"He had to make a call, Babe, remember?"

"Wasn't he looking for my ring? Did he carry my purse out? Oh, man – did I have a gun in there? Is he mad?"

"No, Babe, your purse is right here." Ranger walked over and got it, stooping to pick up the Ziploc bag on the floor. "Here's your ring and your watch. He opened the bag and dumped the items into his palm. He strapped on my watch and then picked up my hand. My breath caught and my eyes locked on his. He held the ring in his fingers and brought it toward my left hand. His eyes fastened on mine, paralyzing me, owning me and making it impossible for me to look away or move. I whimpered as he slid the ring onto my finger, then turned my hand over and softly kissed my palm. And I knew that this was what I would wish for if I could have anything in the world. A lifetime of belonging to Ranger, and him to me. Pain speared through me at my foolish, stupid wishes and I closed my eyes against it. Unwanted, a tear escaped my eyelids and silently rolled down my cheek. A finger stopped its progress and gently wiped it away.

"Babe," Ranger's voice whispered, and he leaned over me, his strong arms holding me, his deep voice whispering Spanish to me, soothing me with its husky cadence, the words unimportant. A calm came over me and my eyes closed and I slept.

TBC – yet again, sorry it's short, but again, it seemed a perfect place to end.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Bad Decisions**_

_**Karen**_

The usual disclaimer applies – all Janet's, only playing, will return, except for you know who.

A/N: Thank you Lisa and Stephannie for your help and suggestions.

Rating: R – Adult situations and language

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

I took my eyes off the monitor screen as Ranger exited the elevator.

"How's Bombshell?"

"Head wound, some minor bruising from her seatbelt and the airbag. She has to stay the night, but can go home tomorrow. I stayed until she fell asleep, then the nurse gave her an IV morphine injection, so she'll sleep 'till morning."

"Did you talk to her?"

"Fuck, Tank, she doesn't remember the day of the accident. The last thing she remembers is seeing you at Pino's. She had the camera with her. Morelli found it at the hospital, grabbed it and ran. He'll find out that she doesn't remember anything when she wakes up, unless her memory returns. The doctor said it may happen."

"So right now she doesn't remember calling you? How'd you get her to talk to you?"

Ranger just looked at me. "It doesn't matter. We need to figure out what to do now. Do we think she's in danger? Right now she doesn't remember having the camera and he took it, so she won't see it. But do we think he'll harm her if she remembers and asks him about the picture? Jesus Christ, I thought he was a good guy, a good cop. What the fuck is going on here?"

"Sometimes people do stupid things for really dumb reasons." I stared meaningfully at Ranger, then continued. "We'll keep her under surveillance so nothing happens to her. Should we talk to Morelli?"

"I don't want to scare him away. We need to figure out what's going on between him and Suvajian. If this deal does go down and we catch Suvajian with Cat, we'll have some leverage to figure this out."

"Are we sure Morelli is involved? Someone could have used his camera."

"No, his expression when he found the camera case with Steph's stuff was pure panic. He's in a bad place right now for sure wondering how much she knows."

"What are we going to do about it? If we're sure it's him, we can't just let him get away with it."

Ranger sank into a chair and dropped his head in his hands for a second, then rubbed his eyes."If it comes out, he'll lose his job for sure. But if Suvajian is able to hurt Steph because Joe let him get off, I'll kill him myself. I don't want to force Steph into remembering – I'm hoping she'll figure it out on her own. Honestly, I don't think she'd believe me right now. I seriously screwed with her head by leaving. But I don't think Suvajian is after Steph. I think Joe gave him the photo to give to me to make me think that. He said at the station that he had heard we were picking him up that night. We usually give the PD advance notice when we're picking up a big skip anyhow, so he would have known without too much digging. Then Joe decided to drop off a photo on Steph's door that night knowing she would call me, or maybe he saw my car there when he drove home that night and decided then. Either way, knowing that Suvajian was in jail would confuse things and make us think that Suvajian had someone outside helping him. I just can't fucking believe he would do this and involve Steph."

"He really didn't involve her, except for the photo. He figured you would do anything to keep her safe and Suvajian said that as long as you were around her…."

"Yeah, but isn't this whole thing a little twisted? She was still with him and not showing clear signs of making a break. Why do this?"

"Maybe he just read the handwriting on the wall. It's pretty obvious that the situation you three have can't go on forever. Maybe he just figured some preemptive action was needed."

"Fucking Navy boys. Always too quick on the trigger. I'm going upstairs; see you in the morning."

I looked up as Ranger moved to the elevator. "You back home for good?"

"Yeah, I can't leave now. We've got this thing with Cat, Steph's hurt, and I've put too much on you…"

I interrupted him. "Why don't you just admit you can't stay away any longer."

Ranger got in the elevator, his friend's laughter echoing in his head. His finger hovered over the 7th floor button, then with a soft chuckle, he hit the first floor instead. Tank was right, he couldn't stay away.

§§§§§§

Joe Morelli sat on the barstool in the corner and leaned back against the wall. He blearily looked around the room and mentally kicked himself for getting to this point. Drunk and stupid is no way to win the girl, he thought to himself. What the fuck had he done? Compromised his job, his entire life for a girl. Well, not just a girl. His girl. He had to keep her safe and she wasn't safe continuing what she was doing, and definitely not who she was doing it with. She was the love of his life. The One for him. He had decided on that way back in his garage when they were just kids and had stuck to it, with some deviations. But when she came after him when he was an FTA, he was charmed all over again and secretly a little proud of her when she brought him in, although he would never let her know that. He wouldn't encourage such foolishness. Her job was completely unacceptable to him and absolutely incompatible with her future job as his wife and the mother of his children and he couldn't wait until their wedding day. He would personally deliver her bounty hunting supplies right back to Vinnie himself and then tell him to go fuck himself. Right along with Manoso.

"Fucking Manoso," he muttered. If it weren't for him, he wouldn't be in this situation. Tempting Steph with those cars, the money, the always-available support. Always smirking at him like he had one up on him. He had a feeling that something had happened between them, but he just couldn't go there, couldn't think about it. So he never asked. And Steph never told. But that fucking smirk drove him crazy. He'd like to wipe it off his face just once. And then he smiled, because he had. He had forced him to leave town. He had gotten the girl all to himself. He smiled more, then dropped his head. But he hadn't really, he thought morosely. There was something missing in her, some part of her that he just couldn't reach and he was deathly afraid that he knew what it was, and with whom it belonged.

§§§§§§

I paused at the entrance to her hospital room and took a deep breath. Thank God she was okay. My mind replayed the events of this afternoon when she turned away from the gate. I had stopped and gotten out of my truck when she hadn't followed me, only to see the car slam into her at the intersection. My heart had stopped and I can't remember how I got over there, but I must have run. The other car was still attached to Steph's door, but somehow it must have been going slowly because it wasn't as bad as it could have been. But then I saw her in the car, not moving, blood running down her cheek. I was able to get inside the car from the passenger side and tried to talk to her and wake her up, but the EMT's had arrived by then and taken over. She wouldn't fully wake up, but I rode with her and held her hand the whole way. They said she was just in shock. Another car dispatched to heaven and it truly wasn't her fault. It was more mine, because I had upset her. But it wasn't possible for me to be close to her and not touch her. I loved her reactions, her quick indrawn breaths and languorous eyes that told me she was in as deep as I was.

I could hear her moving in her bed and I went inside, checking it out, but the room was empty. Dragging a chair over to the side of the bed, I dropped down into it and thought about the mess that had put Steph in the hospital. I covered her hand with mine and laid my head against the headrest. I felt her eyes on me first before she moved. I raised my eyes and looked into hers, sleepily unfocused.

"Why are you here again?"

"Didn't want to leave you alone."

She made a waving motion with her hand indicating that wasn't my job. "Wasn't a problem for you before," she whispered, not fully awake.

Zing! Direct hit. Imagine what she could do if she were fully awake. I nodded my head, acknowledging my actions.

Her hand clasped mine and her eyes closed again. "I miss you," she murmured softly, already more than halfway asleep.

I ran my hand over her curls and softly pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I miss you, too, " I said to her sleeping form.

I stayed and held her hand until dawn, then got up and stretched. I ran my hand down her arm and tightened my grip on her fingers, then letting go and walking to the door. My phone vibrated and I checked the display.

"Cat."

"Ric, we've got intel on the sale – tomorrow night at Pier 36. We'll keep up the surveillance, but we think it's going down then. We've heard from an informant that the items are being kept on a boat at a nearby marina, but we want the buyer. He's trying to make his own army."

"Here?"

"Midwest – we've got our own terrorists right in this country every bit as dangerous as the international psychos. Pretend soldiers that don't like the politics here and think they can secede from the country and become their own territory. Usually they're just wackos looking to form a commune, but these guys are serious and have some financial backing. We need to get the cargo before it reaches its destination."

"Why are they using boats if they're going to the Midwest?"

"We thought about that – possibly because the State Police Truck Squads along the east coast are just brutal – they can't afford to take the chance of a routine stop. We think the boat's going to go north, maybe up to Maine, then offload there where there are a ton of back roads to use."

"Okay, I'll have a team of four. Let us know how you want us set up."

"Just be there for seven. Thanks, man. I can't lose this guy."

I snapped the phone closed and walked to the elevator. The doors opened and Joe Morelli walked off. He stared at me for a few full seconds and I stared back. Our eyes did all the talking. _Asshole. Come on, start something. I know you're wondering how much I know. Well, I'm not gonna tell you. I'm gonna wait and make you sit it out. Piece of shit._

_Manoso, you fucking prick._ _Figures you'd be here – you never let up for a second. Probably sat all night next to her bed. I know you don't know anything or you'd run straight to your friend Juniak. Why don't you go find your own girl and stop poaching on mine?_

I wanted to tell him that she belongs to me, and I was claiming her, but I couldn't right now and really, I wasn't sure she'd want me to after how I'd treated her. Morelli took a half step around me and moved off to Steph's room. My cell buzzed again and Tank called with an update for the day's activities. After working out the schedule with him and ending the call, I could hear Steph's voice.

"Joe, I need to go to my apartment. I want my own clothes, my own shower. I feel fine except for a slight headache. Just go talk to the doctor, please, and see when I can get out of here. And where the hell did you go last night – you left to make a phone call and never came back."

I could hear Joe murmur something, but couldn't make it out. But I had no trouble with the rest.

"Seriously, you're going to start that shit again? I'm in a hospital bed and you're starting with a pissing match on who can watch over me better? I'm not a toy truck for you to fight over. Please, either get the doctor or just leave me alone."

I smiled – my Babe was getting back to normal. I resisted the urge to see her again and left the hospital to go home and shower.

§§§§§§

We left the hospital and got into Joe's truck; starting off for my apartment. My cell rang halfway there and it was my mother.

"Stephanie, what's this I hear…" and the words just poured out of my mother's mouth. At least this time it really wasn't my fault – the driver had been trying to talk on a cell phone, apply mascara and change the radio station simultaneously. Hmm, I do that all the time; maybe I should drop at least one of them. But it took me so long to perfect the 'driving with the knee' method that I hated to abandon it. The call ended with a demand for a dinner appearance. "Early tonight – 4 o'clock – your grandmother and I have a viewing at 6 tonight. Bring Joe."

I disconnected and relayed the request to Joe. He nodded okay, and I looked at him suspiciously. "Do you know what my mother is cooking?"

"No, why?"

"Because you're not complaining about going over there."

"Cupcake, early dinner means we'll be home early and in bed early." He leaned over and nuzzled my ear, his fingers searching for my ring and stroking it. "I feel the need to spend some quality time showing my fiancée how much I love her."

Guilt shot through me as I remembered Ranger sliding my ring on my finger. I sighed. I was going to have to fix this and do it soon. Already I was in so far that I would be forever banned from chocolate cake; I was hoping my mother wouldn't extend it to pineapple upside-down, but I figured that punishment might be saved for an unmarried pregnancy, so there was at least some hope.

Joe dropped me at my apartment and I gave Rex a grape and then dragged my comforter to my couch, put a movie in, got comfortable, and promptly fell back to sleep.

I woke up groggily and went to the kitchen for a drink. Hmm, I just slept the day away, I thought, but felt a thousand times better. I chugged two Advil just as a precaution, then got in the shower. It was three o'clock and I needed some pampering time before Joe came to pick me up.

We arrived at my parents' house to find everyone seated at the table. My mother brought out roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans and everyone took a breath, then it was every person for himself. After the food in the bowls had been decimated and the first few forkfuls had disappeared, conversation could begin.

"We're going to see Lucy Roper tonight. She went to school with me and outlived four husbands. Since the last one was only forty, it was a sure bet that she couldn't do that again. But he's happy because he's going to find himself a hottie with the lottery money that's still around from the first husband." Grandma looked around at us. "I was thinking maybe I should give him a try."

We all acknowledged the sadness of Lucy's passing and the upcoming happiness of the widower, but passed on whether or not he would be interested in Grandma.

"Gee, I'd really love to win the lottery. I play it every week, but nothing happens. I never even win a dollar." Albert spoke up, a small piece of roast beef just hanging on to his outer lip and moving with each word he spoke. I just kept looking at it, fascinated, waiting for it to fall off.

Valerie leaned over and wiped it off. "There you go, Snuggles. Steph, I was very mad about the camera until I found out you got in an accident. Thank God you were okay."

I looked at her inquiringly. "Camera?"

Joe interrupted. "Steph doesn't remember everything from that day and the doctor thinks she shouldn't try – it may come back on its own."

I ignored him in my quest to find out about my missing day. "I called you about a camera? Why?"

Valerie ignored the warning look Joe was sending her. "No, I called you. I needed a camera for a scrapbook page the kids were supposed to have done and mine was broken. You said you would look for Joe's, but you never called me back. When I heard about your accident, I figured you were on your way over with it and I felt so guilty."

I felt like my brain had supercharged rockets in it, all zooming around banging against my skull. The hospital room appeared before me and I finally realized what had been in Joe's hands.

"I had the camera bag with me in the hospital – that's what you had in your hands when you left. Were you mad at me for taking it?"

"No, of course, not. I needed to get it back home; I had some pictures for work on it." Joe said quickly.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to borrow it without asking. I can't imagine why I didn't call you before I let Val borrow it." But then another picture loomed in front of my eyes and I saw myself holding up Joe's camera and taking the picture of me. Then I could see myself looking at the stored pictures on the camera. The blood drained from my face and I felt faint. I put both hands on the table and pushed myself up, staggering a little. "Bathroom," I mumbled over my shoulder. I needed to think. I grabbed my purse and locked myself in.

"What the hell?" I thought to myself. "Why would Joe have that picture on his camera? Now I know why I was on my way to RangeMan. I felt a burst of annoyance at Ranger for not telling me. He must have known."

I picked up my phone and dialed Lula. I had to get out of there. I could not face Joe right now before some kind of sense could be made of this whole mess.

"I need you to come get me – I'm at my parents."

"Fight with Supercop again?"

"Now, Lula, hurry."

"This isn't just about a fight, is it? Are you okay?"

"No, not okay. I just need to get out of here. Pick me up on the street behind my parents."

"On my way."

I quietly exited the bathroom and made my way to the kitchen. I cut a piece of pie, wrapped it in a napkin, then let myself out the back door and through the neighbor's yard to the next street. I sat on the curb, ate my pie and waited for Lula. I couldn't help it, tears slowly made their way down my face. I couldn't believe that Joe would be involved in whatever was going on that had Ranger so freaked. I had known him for so long and while not all the times had been good, there were enough so that I trusted him. The thought that I couldn't rely on him was a big hit to my reality. After a few minutes had passed, it was obvious that Lula wasn't coming, unless she had traded up and was now driving a black Porsche. Muttering dire threats to Lula's safety, I heaved myself up and got in the car. Ranger looked over at me and his eyes traced the tear marks on my face. He reached over and gently wiped my face with his thumbs, then held my cheeks and kissed me. It was a kiss of friendship, of closeness, of simple adoration. It soothed me, even though I didn't know if I could trust him either

"You know." He stated quietly.

"I remember."

"You taste like cherry pie." I had to smile at that. I think that's what he intended.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

_**Bad Decisions**_

_**Karen**_

The usual disclaimer applies – all Janet's, only playing, will return, except for you know who.

A/N: Thank you Lisa for your unending encouragement

Rating: R – Adult situations and language

_Ranger looked over at me and his eyes traced the tear marks on my face. He reached over and gently wiped my face with his thumbs, then held my cheeks and kissed me. It was a kiss of friendship, of closeness, of simple adoration. It soothed me, even though I didn't know if I could trust him either_

_"You know." He stated quietly._

_"I remember."_

_"You taste like cherry pie." I had to smile at that. I think that's what he intended._

**CHAPTER NINE**

I turned to look at him in the car.

"I know Joe took the picture. I need to know what you know, why you left and what is going on. And don't bullshit me. I've reached my quota of lies today."

Ranger nodded, a smile playing at his lips. He put the car in gear and drove. He reached over to my hand and held it in his. I could feel the warmth from him seeping into me and I felt better in spite of what was going on. But I pulled my hand back anyway; I wasn't giving an inch until I knew the whole story.

We arrived at RangeMan and went up to the seventh floor. I walked through the door and immediately felt the peace that surrounds Ranger's apartment. I dropped my bag and turned to him. "Well?"

"Well. You know Joe took the picture. You remember calling me to tell me?"

"Yes, and you told me to come over."

"Why did you leave? Why did you change your mind and drive away? When that car broadsided you…" he trailed off and shook his head.

I looked down at the carpet for a minute, then walked over to the couch and dropped onto it. "I couldn't – I needed time to think. You…you had confused me and I couldn't…"

"Couldn't what, Babe?" Ranger whispered into my ear. I hadn't heard him come up behind me and now he was in my space, his hands gently massaging my shoulders.

I felt the old familiar warmth invade my body and my will to resist begin to retreat. I jumped up off the couch.

"Couldn't do that." I yelled, frustrated, tired of dealing with the innuendos and more tired of being unable to resist his pull. _Like fucking gravity, I thought bitterly. _"Couldn't be around you and let you pull me in and hurt me again. You can't keep kissing me, touching me; then putting me back on a shelf!" I finished screaming at him and ran my hands frenziedly over my face, stalking around the room.

"You're the one that usually puts the brakes on, Steph," he said, fists clenching by his side. He wasn't any happier than I was.

"You fucking left me kneeling on the floor, you bastard. The brakes weren't on that night. You said…." I couldn't say it. I hated to even think it, that I had been so wrong about him. But I had forgotten how strong he was, how he didn't back down from anything.

"I said that it was just a physical attraction between us. That there was nothing else. I'm not proud of it. For the first time since I met you, I lied to you. I lied to protect you because I knew that nothing I could say would stop you from going after him. I didn't know anything about him or why he was targeting you through me. This is exactly the reason I don't do relationships – someone will target the woman I love and I won't be able to protect you."

I glanced up quickly at his choice of pronouns, but decided he was using me as an example.

"But you didn't trust me enough to tell me about it – you decided on your own how to handle it with no input from me. You kept me in the dark – just like Morelli does."

His eyes burned into me – he didn't like that at all, but he didn't argue.

"Babe – if I told you about it you would have marched up to his house and demanded information. I wanted time to figure out what his angle was. He knew things about you…"

"What do you mean – what things?"

"The night we took him in, he threatened you and tried to use your safety as a bargaining chip. He had a photo of you with him. He knew about your apartment, Rex, a bunch of things only someone fairly close to you would know."

I thought about this for a second. Now I knew why Ranger had come to me that night.

"Then, later, when the other picture was delivered…" I started, then stopped.

He looked straight at me and grabbed my fingers, bringing them up to his mouth and kissing them.

"You changed my mind that night – I had decided to leave so Suvajian wouldn't think we were together and wanted to see you before I left. When you came after me, I couldn't leave; Christ Almighty woman, you do have a gift," he said, giving me the wolf grin. "I was all set to tell you that we needed to get you out of the apartment and somewhere safe when the picture – the same one that Suvajian had just shown me - was delivered."

"But how did he deliver it if he was in jail? Oh! Oh, no, no, Joe? He wouldn't do that to me."

Ranger remained silent for a minute, his eyes compassionate, his fingers linked with mine.

"I didn't see him do it, Babe, but it seems like he is involved with this. I can't believe he would do you harm; but I do think he is responsible and had Suvajian threaten me after giving him info on you. He knows you're my weakness and knows I will do anything to protect you. This time he used that knowledge to ensure I stayed away from you."

I looked at him, stunned at that admission. I was his weakness? I impulsively pulled his hand up to my mouth this time and kissed his fingers. He pulled me closer and wrapped his arms around me. Tears appeared in my eyes as I thought about how I had believed I would never again feel the heat, the sheer comfort of his arms around me. He tipped my head up and looked into my eyes. He pressed soft kisses to my hairline, murmured a few soothing sentences in Spanish. I reached up and brought his lips down to mine, pressing a hesitant kiss on his full lips. He gently kissed me back, his lips begging forgiveness for hurting me, his hands smoothing my hair and running down my back. I pushed the hurt away as another, more primitive feeling began to take over my body. He looked down at me and his eyes caught mine, black on blue, as he stared into the depths of my soul.

I could see the heat begin in his eyes as hands had their familiar effect on my body. Then his eyes shot black fire into mine and the warmth that had begun to invade me suddenly ignited into an inferno. His hands came up to rest against my cheeks, framing my face and he invaded all my space, his body touching mine and fitting itself to my curves. "I can't replace you, Babe. I can't lose you, either. It was hell without you."

His lips descended slowly to mine and our breaths mingled for a second before all hell broke loose. Mouths crashed together, lips clung, tongues battled. Fingers feverishly touching, sliding, ripping. We weren't done talking, but we were for now. I still needed to find out the rest of the story; first, I needed him. But I had to be sure.

"Wait, " I said breathlessly. I looked up at him and held my left hand, palm down, up to him. He stared at me, both of us thinking of the hospital.

"Are you sure?" I nodded my head slowly, my eyes locked on his. He took my hand, sliding my ring off this time and placing it on the coffee table.

"Christ, I do love you." And he picked me up and strode over to the couch, sitting down with me straddling him. Sifting his hands through my hair, he leaned in and his lips claimed mine, my head slanting against his, my arms tightly holding him to me, my hands sliding over his smooth muscles that flexed and moved as he held me. His tongue slid intimately against mine and his hands roamed over my skin, skimming my shoulders and softly feeling every inch of my arms, then moving inside to rest against the swell of my breasts. His fingers spread to feel the full weight of them and zeroed in on my nipples, rubbing them roughly, eliciting an involuntary moan from me.

"You like that Babe? I missed you. I missed your mouth," he whispered, as his mouth made love to mine, telling me how much he needed me. "I missed the taste of you." His hands moved to the small of my back and he bent me over, his mouth seeking one of my waiting nipples and finding it ready. He licked and sucked at me until I thought I would go mad from the delicious tension and the heat inside me, then he drove me mad some more when he moved to my other aching nipple. He tortured me until my nipples were bright red and so sensitive that just his breath was sweetly painful.

"Oh my God, Ranger….." my head was twisting back and forth and my body was trying its best to rub against him. I was in heat and his hands were roaming my body, mapping its most responsive areas, urging me on. He pushed me back a little on his leg and intimately lifted it between mine. I rubbed myself on it shamelessly; his hands at my hips, his mouth plundering mine, then shooting off to the side to nip along my neck and collarbone.

"Yes, Babe, that's it. Come for me, I love watching you, how you can't help reacting to what I'm doing to you."

One of his hands reached up to my already-sensitized nipples and pinched it and that pushed me right over the edge. Wetness flooded my panties as I screamed and screamed until I had no breath left, my center pressing down on him, prolonging the incredible intensity of my release. I fell forward and dropped my head on his shoulder, my arms lying limply around his broad shoulders, the aftershocks running through me, making me quiver.

Ranger's hands slid down my back and curved under my ass and I felt the sensation all the way to my center. Unbelievably, I could feel my body begin to tingle and tighten up again.

"Oh, wow, that feels good," I moaned.

Ranger looked confused for a minute, then shook with laughter.

"Babe, that's my phone vibrating."

Gee, I hated looking stupid. "Oh, well, maybe you want to tone down the volume on that vibration."

"Not a chance," he grinned and slid me down his body, then reached for his phone.

"Yo."

I got up slowly, testing my legs, then wandered into the kitchen and got a bottle of water, chugging it as I walked back to the living room. Ranger was just finishing up his call.

"Affirmative, Cat, we'll be in place. Don't worry, we'll get him. I want him even more than you do."

_Cat, Cat – haven't heard that name before. Cat – as in Catwoman? _I must have been frowning because he reached for me and wrapped me in his arms.

"Why the frown? I thought you were happy a minute ago." He teased.

I blushed at the memory. What was it about him that made me feel so out of control?

"I love you out of control, Babe, seeing you riding my leg because you can't help yourself. I love watching you - it makes me crazy and if this guy tonight weren't a threat to you, I'd scrap this job, toss you on my bed and fuck you all night long. I want to see you come while I'm buried deep inside you, hear you scream my name and hold you while your body shakes uncontrollably. When I'm done with you," he got in real close and whispered in my ear, "you won't remember your own name, but you will know that I'm the only man who will ever make you feel this way."

I was instantly wet again as a blast of heat ripped through my body and I just stared at him dumbly. What did I care that Greg wanted to sell rocket launchers to some crazy people. Maybe they have a legitimate gripe? All I cared about right now was getting some more of what I had just had. I reached for him and pulled him to me, grinding myself into his body, feeling his hardness press against my belly. I reached up into his hair and pulled his head down to mine, kissing him with all the pent up want and need I was feeling. Ranger's arms came around me and grabbed my ass, pulling me up and into him, his hardness pulsing against me.

I was tearing his shirt off of him, desperate to reach his skin and feel its smoothness under my fingers. I ran my hands across the hard planes of his chest and my fingers fastened on to his nipples, my nails scratching him roughly.

"And you're the only man I'll want to make me feel this way." I responded breathlessly. "I can't believe that we're finally together, it's such a…" And I stopped because I felt him freeze next to me and pull away slightly. A feeling of stupidity came over me and I forced out a laugh, high and tight, and pulled my shirt together and turned away.

"Not that you'll be the last, or anything, or that there won't be anyone else," I babbled uselessly, desperate to salvage my slip, because it was obvious to me that the 'forever' plan hadn't been on Ranger's to-do list.

"Steph," he began quietly, then stopped as there was a quick knock followed by the door crashing open and Tank, Lester and Bobby rushed in.

"Bombshell – what's up?"

Lester gave me a quick hug. "Missed you around here. It's just not the same without you." He looked at Ranger and grinned, checking out the mussed hair, the lack of shirt.

"Cat tell us what we're doing?"

"We're backup. The intel says that the guns are coming in to Sealand Terminal at the Port of Newark – you know, the container port. They're supposed to be coming by boat and I would guess they'd be offloaded onto a truck. Their main problem is that the guns are being bought by a militant faction out West and they can't miss stopping them here or they'll disappear. These rockets absolutely can't reach the buyer – that is the priority."

He leaned into me and spoke softly. "Babe, I'll fill in the blanks for you in the car. Assuming you do want to come?" And he had the nerve to laugh at me. "Let's get rolling – we have to be in Newark in 25 minutes, then coordinate with Cat."

I dug my heels in and forced away the heartbreak, replacing it with easily available alternative – anger.

"I'm not going anywhere with you until you let me know what's going on."

"Babe, we're going after Suvajian tonight. Do you want to be involved?"

I looked at him, stunned, then said something really stupid.

"Does Joe know?"

A black cloud formed over Ranger's head. "No, I hadn't thought to check with Greg's accomplice to see if he was available." He said icily. "If you'd like to wait with him, I can call you once we're done."

I felt like crying. I hated being on the receiving end of Ranger's anger and it so rarely happened that it was just paralyzing, especially after all that had happened in the past few days. I turned away so no one would see the tears in my eyes and walked right into Tank.

"Cut her some slack, man. It's hard for her to deal with what Joe did – it's a real betrayal."

I looked up gratefully at Tank and squeezed his hand. I collected my thoughts for a minute and turned back to Ranger. Regardless of what was going to happen between us, he was my best friend and he was including me in this operation. I was going to get to the bottom of this thing between Joe and Greg and make both of them sorry they had screwed with me.

"I didn't mean that the way it sounded. I can't imagine what Joe was thinking or why he would do this, but I'll get to the bottom of it. In the meantime, yes, I do want to be involved."

He grabbed me and kissed me hard, pulling me close and whispering, "we're not finished." Pausing to button his shirt and fix his hair, he continued to the group, "now about tonight, we're the backup for the FBI. The agent in charge, Cat, is a childhood friend of mine," he looked directly at me – "but we're going to be in the middle of a takedown, do NOT start pumping him for information!"

_Gee, I thought. He knows me too well. But I can't pump 'him'. Ahhh, good – definitely NOT Catwoman._

We got in Ranger's Cayenne and Tank, Bobby and Lester followed in Tank's Navigator. Ranger was in his zone, but his hand held mine over the console, absently rubbing my wrist and making my skin tingle. Usually I respect Ranger's 'zone' but today my curiosity was in charge of my mouth.

"So why would Joe do this?"

Ranger exhaled, which would be a huge sigh on anyone else. "Don't know, Babe. You were having trouble with him, right?"

I blushed as I remembered that day in the alley. "Yeah, but that's everyday. He has these… 'Expectations', and doesn't like my job or who I work with."

"You mean me? Does he know there is more there than just a friendship?"

This was getting dangerously close to the conversation in the apartment where I had just gotten burned, so I didn't have a speck of interest in continuing in this direction.

"I think he is just not happy that I don't want to marry him, don't want to have kids, etc.."

"That didn't answer my question."

_Okay, Steph, time to prove you can hang. _"Does he know there is a sexual attraction between us? Yes, probably. Does he know we've slept together? I don't know – it's never come up."

Ranger frowned. "That's not what I asked… fuck." He swore as yanked his phone off his belt and checked the display. "Yo!" he growled, then listened for a minute. "Affirmative, ETA 10 minutes."

He looked over at me. "That was Cat, checking in."

I seized the opportunity to change the subject to something less hazardous to my mental health. "Cat who?"

"His name is Duke Robitaille and I grew up with him in Newark. Our family kind of adopted him after his mother died. We went into the military at the same time."

"He was a Ranger, too?"

"No, he was a champion swimmer in high school and always wanted to be a SEAL, so he joined the Navy."

I was fidgeting in my seat as I made a connection. "Did he give you your hat?" I asked, then remembered that the friend who had given it to him had died, so that was impossible. "I'm sorry, that was thoughtless."

"It's okay. No, it was Cat's friend that he met at basic and they stayed together through SEALS training."

Further discussion was halted as we were approaching the piers. A fog had rolled in and the dock lights were eerily outlining the huge cargo ships and the stacks of containers that they held. An enormous crane was still, its shadow darkening the area we were standing. A dark figure separated itself from the darkness and raised an arm to signal us. We stopped and got out, surrounding yet another beautiful specimen of male. His eyes reminded me of the dark green sea glass I would find at the shore and, oh, wow, he's got killer dimples. Yummy. His eyes alighted on me and a smile broke out on his face. I mostly concentrated on the dimples, of course.

"Ah, this must be the incomparable Stephanie Plum?" He took my hand and brought it to his lips. I saw Ranger frown and the small part of me that was all about the payback gave him a big saucy smile right back.

"I'm assuming you're the mysterious Cat? I'm sure you can guess I know next to nothing about you, so you have me at a disadvantage."

"Oh, I see no disadvantages in getting to know you, Ms. Plum."

"I think that could be something we would both enjoy."

"Enough," Ranger growled.

Either Cat had a death wish or an overwhelming need to cause mischief because he didn't flinch at Ranger's tone, instead smiling widely and leaning toward him.

"I guess that groveling didn't work out so well, huh?"

"Groveling? There's been no groveling." I replied, even though the question hadn't been directed at me. "You should know by now that Ranger is the director and we're all supposed to live out our appointed roles regardless of how we feel or what we think."

Cat stared at me for a second, then let out a bark of laughter.

"Hell, Ric, forget the groveling. I think Stephanie and I could work something out as long as you're happy the way you are. Let's get this piece of shit Suvajian put away, Sugar, then you and I can take some time to get to know each other." He kissed my fingers slowly one more time, his grass green eyes sparkling at me and giving me goosebumps, and then got down to business, easily ignoring the death vibes that Ranger was emitting.

"Okay, we've got intel that says the stingers are on a Cigarette offshore and that's how they're being transported in. They'll either be offloaded to another boat, which I think is unlikely, or the players will simply make the boat part of the transaction. The piers are grouped in sections and we believe that this is going down in Section F – piers 35 through 38. Bobby, you and Lester take 35, Steph and I will take 36 and Ric, you and Tank do 37. Another agent, Sam Bellson, is in charge of 38. There are four agents per pier you're commanding, and sharpshooters are stationed on each docked boat. We've also got agents on boats moored in the harbor. We're waiting for the guns to appear – it's vital that we get all of them."

I had a feeling that Ranger wanted to change the teams, but I stared back at him and he made a dismissive hand gesture. He walked over to me and leaned his forehead against mine.

"Be safe, Babe, we have a lot of unfinished business." Then he touched his lips to mine and walked off with Tank, shrugging into his flak vest.

Lester and Bobby reached out and gave me one-armed hugs. "You keep an eye on our girl, Pussycat, and don't get any ideas. She's spoken for already."

Cat looked at me curiously. "Are you spoken for?"

I had to think about that. My body felt spoken for, my heart wanted to be spoken for, but unfortunately the speaker was on a different page than I was.

"I guess not," I concluded sadly.

Long fingers slid under my chin and lifted. My eyes met his and he gave me the dimples again. "Then Ric's a fool," he whispered before brushing his lips softly against mine.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

_**Bad Decisions**_

_**Karen**_

The usual disclaimer applies – all Janet's, only playing, will return, except for you know who.

A/N: Thank you Lisa and Stephannie for your help and suggestions.

Rating: R – Adult situations and language

**Chapter 10**

I felt his lips covering mine and wallowed in the exquisitely sweet feeling of a simple kiss without mental strings. I skimmed my hands up over his biceps, reaching up into his tousled hair and he deepened the kiss, his hands sliding down my back and pulling me closer. And then I heard the voice.

_Slut, slut – what are you doing?? Don't you have enough problems?? _

And even though Cat could give Ranger a run for his money in the kissing department, I reluctantly stepped away, shaking my head to clear the lust-filled fog that surrounded me.

"I'm sorry, I just can't." For some reason I found it necessary to begin apologizing, but he interrupted me.

"Steph, you have nothing to apologize for. I shouldn't have been so forward, but I couldn't resist, and, well, it just seemed like the thing to do. However, we are on a stakeout and I am supposed to be in charge, so we should probably cease and desist. Can I have your cooperation on that, Ms. Plum?" He pretended to ask sternly.

_Wow, I like this man. Gorgeous, funny, dimples, not too full of himself. Oh, my God, down girl! What's the matter with you? _

I shook my head. "I think I can resist if you can."

"Okay," he whispered, "but once we nail this scum all bets are off."

We lost ourselves in the darkness and I couldn't see anyone but Cat within seconds. The piers are huge concrete docks that extend into the harbor. There were stacks of shipping containers as far as the eye could see, and the docks had huge sodium lights hanging from the tops of the pilings that cast an eerie, yellowish glow.

Soon we could hear a low hum from across the harbor and could just make out a long, sleek boat easing its way through the water, its running lights extinguished.

"Word is that Suvajian will meet tonight at this pier – he's bringing the launchers in by boat."

"At this pier? Why didn't you have Ranger here?"

"You mean instead of you?" Cat questioned. "Ric doesn't have anyone on his team that he couldn't rely on. You're part of the team; therefore, I can rely on you like I would on Ric. You know he trusts you completely, right?"

"He trusts me with information, yes."

Cat looked at me for a minute. "Not to sabotage my own interests here, but Ric trusts you with a lot more than information. You know he loves you, right?"

"Really?" I said somewhat petulantly. "And you can tell this from the loads of words that regularly pour out of his mouth?"

Cat chuckled softly. "Shit, Ric does have his work cut out for him. No, Stephanie, not from what he says, but how he acts and what he doesn't say. Have patience. I've never seen him this torn up over a woman."

And my curiousity shifted into high gear as I remembered that Cat had known Ranger as a kid and I wanted to grill him on every detail when he put his finger to my lips to indicate silence. We watched silently as the boat was docked at the pier and a man climbed out and walked to the end, a cell phone held to his ear. We slowly followed, keeping to the shadows and finally stopped about 30 feet from the end, hiding behind a parked forklift.

Suddenly, we could see two dark figures facing each other, the second having been hiding.

"Is that Suvajian?"

I strained my eyes to see through the haze. One of the men moved to the side and I caught a quick profile.

"I'm pretty sure – it's dark, but it looks like him."

Cat whispered to me that he was going to go further on the dock and for me to stay at this end. He melted into the shadows and disappeared. I heard a voice in my ear through the mike.

"Babe, I'm right behind you." Ranger reached for me and I whispered that Cat had gone closer. He nodded and followed him. I could see nothing and the waiting was driving me crazy. I knew there were FBI agents all around the harbor, but I didn't know where they were. I wanted to follow Ranger and Cat in the worst way. Just as I had made the decision to move my feet, I heard gunshots and a voice exploded in my ear.

"Team member down, team member down!"

§§§§§§§§§§

I heard Cat through my earpiece as he let me know the deal was happening. I gestured to Tank to follow me and we backtracked to Pier 36. I saw Stephanie standing at the beginning of the dock and she was a study in indecision. I could tell that she was debating whether to follow Cat and I chuckled to myself at her inability to embrace any iota of patience. I told her I was behind her so she wouldn't be startled and then followed Cat.

"That's Suvajian." I spoke quietly to Cat.

"Steph ID'd him already. He's with Mark Birdsong, charter subscriber to Soldier of Fortune."

"One of those, hmm?"

"Yeah, has all his followers address him as 'General'.

We shared a low laugh, then watched closely as the men high-fived each other, then separated; one going to a boat on one side of the pier, and the other heading to the opposite side.

"Shit, he's headed right for Steph. They must have brought another boat."

"Babe, move slowly ba-" my words were cut off as Birdsong turned and saw me, firing almost instantaneously. Twin shots rang out and I fell back, then Birdsong ran past my body and toward the waiting second boat.

§§§§§§§§§§

Cat leaped toward Ranger and tore at his mike. "Team member down, team member down!"

"Fuck, Ric, you okay?" he swore as he checked Ranger's pulse and found it strong and steady, but a little fast. He looked at his head and saw blood underneath coming from a wound at the back.

"Ranger!" Steph ran down the dock and stumbled to a stop. Tank followed her and looked down at Cat.

"Tank, we'll take care of Ranger. We need the guns – I think they're on the boat with Birdsong."

"Ranger, do you hear me? Please, tell me you hear me." Steph was crying and tears were dropping on Ranger's face. He slowly reached up a hand and smoothed away the tears on her cheeks.

"I'm okay – I got hit twice in the vest and the impact threw me back. I must have hit my head on the dock and it knocked me out for a second."

The muffled roar of three large outboard engines igniting simultaneously drowned out any more conversation.

Cat looked dubiously, at Ranger, clearly wanting to stay with him.

"Go – get him. I need him – need to find out what's going on with Morelli."

Steph turned and caught Tank out of the corner of her eye. He was trying to restrain Birdsong, who was trying to jump in the water after the boat that had he had untied and that was now floating away. Tank finally reached out and gave Birdsong a roundhouse punch to the side of the head, following it with an uppercut jab to the chin. As Birdsong fell to the dock, he leaned down and cuffed him, then looked out at the boat floating away. He reached behind his back and pulled out the rifle that was secured there. He aimed at the boat, and fired four shots into the side.

KABOOM! The harbor lit up as the bullets penetrated the gas tank on the boat and the boat and cargo exploded. Pieces of fiberglass, metal and Stinger missiles rained down into the harbor.

"You know they're gonna blame this one on me," Steph commented to Ranger, as she saw the flashing lights of a dozen police cars come screaming down the road to the harbor. "That boat was at least 200 yards away – how'd he make that shot?"

"Lots of practice, Babe – you know, firing range? Dark place, loud, guns? Outside that, he's holding a Heckler & Koch PSG 1A1, one of the finest sniper rifles made."

Steph gave him her patented pissy stare, then jumped as two figures appeared.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Bombshell Bounty Hunter in the flesh. How you been, sweetheart? How's Rex?" Suvajian's voice reached out tauntingly to Steph as Cat directed his steps toward the beginning of the pier.

She grabbed Ranger's arm as he lunged at Suvajian. "The cops are watching – he's not worth it." She gestured toward the battery of cops that were swarming the piers toward us, then looked back at Suvajian.

"What the fuck did I ever do to you?"

"Needed a way out of the mess, Steph. I knew that if I got caught, I would die in jail. Some idiot kid puts ten lines up his nose instead of one and it's suddenly my fault he overdosed! And it had to be a Family member?" Suvajian appealed to Ranger and Steph, who didn't seem at all sympathetic.

"So when Morelli comes to me and tells me he heard that I was being picked up by RangeMan that night, he tells me that he'll arrange for the charge to be dropped if I would help him with a personal problem. What the fuck – all I had to do was let Ranger know that I had his woman in my sights. If I could get Ranger to cave, bonus points for me, I wouldn't have to sit locked up until the trial. But noooo, hardass here wouldn't budge. So I had to wait until the trial – and it all worked out in the end."

"Until now – now you're going away for a long time. You're up on federal charges now, dumbass. You screwed with my life, Greg. You earned what's coming to you now."

"I got Morelli on tape making the deal. Connections, baby." He snapped his fingers at her.

"The FBI doesn't give a rat's ass about some dirty Trenton cop. You attempted to sell missiles – the federal government strongly disapproves and I don't care if you've got the governor on tape giving you a blow job, it ain't gonna matter." Cat grabbed Suvajian's arm and roughly dragged him down the dock and to a waiting car.

Steph looked up at a familiar new car that was making its way to the pier, its bright new paint sparkling even in the dim lights. Morelli had just purchased a new T-bird convertible and was enormously proud of it, spending much of his spare time polishing and waxing it. It had been the first time he had spent serious money on a car and it was his baby. An idea began brewing in her head. A little taste of payback.

§§§§§§§§§§

I watched the swarm of police officers as they converged on us. To my surprise, Carl and Big Dog arrived first in front of us – what the hell were they doing in Newark? My puzzled expression must have been evident because Carl explained without any prompting.

"We were at the station house picking up some lab reports for a case we're working on with Newark when we heard the call come in about Suvajian. We got curious."

Then they both turned to look at the burning pieces of boat, then to me, and frowned.

"No one had a boat," Carl muttered. "Do you think a boat counts?" he asked doubtfully. "I had a vehicle – is a boat a vehicle?"

Ranger cleared his throat and they looked at him, then at me.

"It's a reasonable question," Carl said defensively.

"It is NOT!" I yelled. "You're not supposed to be betting on me!" But then a thought struck me, and I could feel a calm settling over me and a smile began on my lips. "How much is the pot?" I asked. I could see Ranger watching me speculatively and I wondered if Mr. ESP could tell what I was thinking this time. A grin broke out on his face. Yup, he was right on it. How the hell did he do that?

"Pot's up to four big ones. You haven't blown up a car in a while." Carl had seen my smile and deemed it safe to answer. "No offense, Steph. We don't bet to make you feel badly – it's just, it's just…"

"Entertainment?" I finished dryly, sneaking a look at Ranger.

"Yeah, entertainment. We don't get much chance to laugh in our job – you know that."

"Yeah, someone once explained that to me."

Joe Morelli ran down the dock in a flash of blue denim and stopped in front of us, growing pale at the sight of Suvajian cuffed and held by Cat.

"Cupcake – let me get you out of here," Joe spoke quickly, reaching out for my arm.

I shook him off and stared at him coolly. I didn't know how he could stand there and pretend. He must realize that I know at least something, considering I left him at my parents' house without a word.

"Joe," I shook my head at him.

"Come with me, Steph… please," he stared into my eyes intently. "I can explain everything."

"Who took the picture of me that Suvajian gave to Ranger?" I interrupted.

Joe's eyes darkened with emotion, and he looked around. "Don't make me do this in front of him," tipping his chin toward Ranger.

"Him?" I asked softly. "Him? The man who has always supported me unconditionally, who has always been there for me?"

A sneer split his face. "Always? Where's he been for the past couple of months while you were getting engaged to me?"

"Yes, Joe, let's talk about that. He left because someone dropped a picture outside my door – do you have any idea who that could have been?"

Joe had the grace to briefly look ashamed before the anger took over.

"Do you think it's been easy, watching you look at him like he's God? Seeing him give you cars like they're candy, watching him look at you just like I do, hearing you mumble his name in your sleep?"

"I could think of a worse time to say his name," Lester chose that moment to speak, having walked over with Bobby right after Joe arrived.

Joe's eyes turned black and he stepped toward Lester.

"If I even thought for one second…" he shuddered, but then stood straight and glared at Ranger. "Steph wouldn't cheat on me. No matter how much you give her or how much you pressure her, she wouldn't."

Ranger slid a glance toward me and I shrugged. Joe had burned this bridge.

"No she wouldn't," he responded softly, eyes focused on Joe. "But you haven't always been together…"

He watched as the knowledge wove its way into his brain, shattering Joe's dreams and his reality, much the same as the knowledge that he had colluded with Suvajian had done to mine.

I expected anger and yelling. What I got was heartbreaking, at first.

"I watched you…with him. The alley – you were there. I could tell it wasn't just flirting. I knew he wanted you, but I didn't know he wanted all of you. I saw…just by how he touched you…it wasn't just lust… I could see…You smiled at him and touched your lips as he was leaving, like you were remembering."

Joe spoke in pieces, like the words were being torn out of him. I ached for him, for our shared history, for hurting my friend. I remembered all too well that day, the thrill of hearing Ranger's words: "You make me want more, Babe." And how I wished that he meant he wanted to be a bigger part of my life.

"I had to do something. I had to stop him from taking you."

I had heard enough. "Why, Joe? Things weren't so great between us anyhow. Why did you have to stop him? You can't keep me locked up."

"I couldn't let him win."

"Win? Win?" My voice escalated along with my anger. "You piece of shit. This was my life you fucked with and you're only concerned with who gets the prize at the end?"

"He'll never give you what you need, Cupcake. You're some trophy right now, but when he drops you for the next bimbo, don't come crawling back to me."

I shoved him in the chest and walked away, needing some air. The rest of the police had consulted with Cat and were leaving the harbor. Ranger walked toward me and leaned in.

"Steph, what do you want to do about Morelli? You know Suvajian's gonna roll on him, and the feds will have to pass it on, but without corroboration, I don't think he'll get far. Do you want me to talk to Juniak?"

I had thought enough for one night. I knew what I wanted to do and it didn't require any decision-making. I stalked over to Tank and grabbed one of the finest sniper rifles ever made. I shouldered it, pointed it in the direction I wanted, and pulled the trigger, drowning out the sounds of Joe's outraged screams. I emptied the clip into Joe's shiny new T-bird convertible, eventually hitting the gas tank and making that car go BOOM. At least Carl will have a big smile on his face. It didn't look like there were many pieces left, so maybe he would get bonus points for total annihilation.

I looked at Ranger, lowered the rifle and blew across the tip. The grin appeared, lighting up his face and my insides.

"That," I noted, "was definitely my fault."

"Proud of you, Babe."

I turned to Joe and smiled. "I think that makes us even. Don't call me. What you did to me sucks, big time, and it was all related to your ego. That sucks even worse."

I spun around and started walking to the car.

"Uh, Sugar, you know you just exploded a vehicle in front of a federal agent?"

Cat wrapped his arms around me, drawing me backwards into his body.

_Shit, he smells good. Polo, mmmm. An oldie, but a goodie. It's like the George Clooney of cologne. _

I inhaled again deeply and wallowed in the smell of warm, gorgeous male and Polo.

_Mmmm, does it get any better than this? Well, yeah, it does, and it's walking toward you right now._

I tilted my head to Cat's, ignoring his words. I figured if he wanted to arrest me he would have done so. "I want to hear about this groveling."

He laughed and his dimples flashed and his green eyes gleamed with merriment. "I knew that wouldn't slip by. I would like to hear more about you. I get little bits and pieces, but I am having a serious attack of jealousy after meeting you tonight. Did you know that Ric and I are as close as brothers – brothers share, you know."

My eyes danced with mischief. "Really? I might be able to arrange something if you promise to tell me stories about Ranger's childhood."

Ranger just stood there, looking as black as a thundercloud.

"Jesus Christ," Lester whispered to Bobby. "Morelli's gone and he's already got more competition. Poor Ranger just can't win with Bombshell."

I waited for him to say something, to acknowledge that we were "something", even if we hadn't decided quite yet what that was. As the seconds ticked by, my hopes faded and my need to protect myself took over. He had hurt me enough and I was waiting for him to make his move, but he didn't.

I shrugged out of Cat's embrace and walked to the car. My hand was on the handle when the breath whooshed out of me as I was picked up, spun around and slammed against the car door. Ranger lowered his head to mine and kissed me like his life depended on it. His mouth branded me, taking from me my acquiescence to his power over me.

"Where did you learn to shoot a rifle?" he whispered in between kisses.

"Sunny's" I murmured after a minute, intoxicated by his smell and the effect of his kisses.

"We have unfinished business. Unless you'd rather go home with Cat?" he whispered playfully.

I didn't really want to know about the unfinished business, since I remembered Ranger doing the Mr. Freeze thing when I mentioned being together.

"Maybe you should just take me home tonight. If you still want, we can talk in the morning."

_After I conveniently take off for the mall._

"Can't get rid of me that easily, Babe."

He popped me in the car as easily as he would a sack of groceries and the rest of the team piled in. They left the Navigator for Bobby after he finished checking the area. I would have bet that they usually were more boisterous and on a high after a successful capture, but imagined that they were quiet in deference to me and my feelings. And because it was so quiet, the ride lulled me straight into dreamland.

§§§§§§§§§§

I laid her down on my bed and she didn't even stir. The sleep of the innocent, I thought, and smiled. My Babe could sleep through anything. I stripped my shirt and boots off and laid down next to her, my fingers gently stroking along her arms and drawing patterns on her soft skin. I drew her body close to mine, alternately pressing my lips to her shoulder and murmuring to her in Spanish. It felt safe; she was asleep.

"Tu eres mi vida, mi amor y te he extrañado terriblemente."

"What does that mean?" I flinched as she spoke because I hadn't paid attention to her waking up. So much for being aware of my surroundings.

I hesitated and I grabbed her wrist and brought the palm up to my mouth, stealing some time.

_Here I am – a Ranger, best of the best - I had gone in first, been abandoned, lost buddies, etc.. but here I am just a man in love – naked and helpless, my heart on the chopping block and I am doing everything I can to protect it. But protecting it has meant that I've hurt her._

I looked over and stared into her eyes. And I knew that I was worrying for nothing, that I was being stupid.

"It means you are my life, my love and I missed you badly."

Her eyes widened in shock and I chuckled to myself. Every little thought is so plain on her face. She thought I magically figured out she wanted to blow up Morelli's car? How could I not, when her eyes went from the car to the rifle right after Carl mentioned he had bet on the next vehicle explosion.

"But what does that mean?"

_Oh, good Christ, she wants me to explain. I'm no good at this._

"Why don't you ask me what you want to know?"

"Oh. Um. Well, it might be easier if you explained."

_Shit, between the two of us we have the communication skills of donkeys. _

"Well, it means I'm glad you're here."

Her expression indicated that wasn't enough.

"And that I'm sorry I acted like an ass – I thought it was the best way to protect you. I couldn't stand thinking I had brought a crazy to your doorstep."

"Ranger, between you and me, we have collected enough crazies and pissed off enough people that the odds are that one of them could come crawling back. If we stick together, maybe we're stronger that way?"

"I can live with that, Babe." I opened my mouth, closed it, then opened it again. Taking a leap of faith, I continued. "What I can't do, Babe, is live without you anymore."

A smile as big as Texas flashed across her face.

"That was hard to admit, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it doesn't come easy."

"Ranger? Proud of you, man."

"Smartass."

I rolled over and settled myself between her legs.

"You're mine, Babe, if you want to be. I made a mistake and I almost lost you. She grabbed my shoulders, pulling me down to her, our mouths fusing together and our hearts beating against each other.

She pulled her mouth away and stared at me. "So you mean, like you and me?"

"Yeah, Babe, you and me. As much of me as you can handle."

"Oh my God. All Ranger All The Time." I grinned, then felt her shiver.

"Cold?"

"No," she whispered. "Hot, burning hot."

I shot her my best grin and crashed my lips into hers, her body tight against me, my hands sliding into her hair and holding her head at the perfect angle to conquer her mouth. Her tongue slipped into my mouth and played with mine, while her arms reached up to my shoulders and luxuriated in the feel of hard-as-steel muscles. I shifted slightly so she could feel my arousal and she groaned. I wanted her so much. Dipping my head, I licked my way down her throat. God, she tasted like heaven.

"Dios, mi amor. You're mine."

I leaned into her and pressed hot kisses against her neck, and I could feel her body tingle in response. She was writhing underneath me and I knew exactly how she felt. It had been too long. The sensations were driving me crazy with wanting her. I had one arm around her waist and slid the other to her throat, pressing on the pulse point and sucking at the sensitive spot with my mouth.

"Ranger, oh my God, please."

"Please what, Babe? Please kiss me?" I purred, sampling how good her kisses felt. "Please touch me?" I suited action to word and the buttons of her blouse flew across the room as I ripped the blouse off her shoulders. One quick movement with my fingers and her breasts were free, the nipples already hard and pointing at me angrily, demanding attention. I took a deep breath.

"God, you are so beautiful." My hands came up under her breasts, caressing them, my fingers rolling her nipples and making both of us insane with need.

"Now, Ranger. I can't wait for you anymore," Steph begged, panting from the need that was building inside her.

I knew how she felt. Quickly I shucked my pants and slid between her legs as she automatically opened them to welcome me. She wrapped them around me and tilted her hips and with one quick thrust I was buried in her wetness. I stilled as a tidal wave of feeling swept over me and I captured her eyes with mine.

"Steph, Babe, do you feel it?"

Tears appeared in her eyes as she nodded.

"It's…special…it's…indescribable."

"I love you, Babe. Truly, completely, forever, to the end of my days."

She closed her eyes for a minute, then opened them, the blueness intensified by the tears swimming in them.

"I love you, Ranger. I have for a long time and I will until I die."

I leaned down and kissed her, then she moaned in pleasure as my mouth traveled over her jaw and down her neck, then fastened on to a waiting nipple. I sat back and lifted her hips, bringing her body to mine, pulling all the way out, then sinking all the way in. Her walls caressed and pulled at me and I could feel her orgasm building from her quickened movements and the cries coming from her mouth. I reached between us and felt her explode around me, the sound of her screaming my name sending me over the edge and off the cliff. I collapsed on her and rolled, tucking her against me, both of us breathing heavily. No words necessary – what we had was perfect.

The quietness was disturbed by my cell phone vibrating on the night stand. I reached up and grabbed it, checking the number, then flipping it open.

"Yo, Cat, what's up?"

He listened for a minute, then a somewhat feral smile appeared on his lips.

"No, that won't be necessary. I've got it under contol…..No, not so much…Bye, Cat."

Steph just stared at me and I knew she wanted a recap, but I liked making her wait. I could see the steam building, and I relented.

"Cat wanted to know how you were and if you needed his assistance at all. Seems you made quite the impression."

"And?" she prompted. 

"He wanted to know if you made me grovel a lot," I replied reluctantly, knowing she would take this and run with it.

"Hmmm, I'm thinking there hasn't been enough groveling – you did treat me shamefully, you know."

"Babe – you got engaged; don't you think hearing about that was punishment enough? And besides, groveling? I do have an image to maintain, you know."

"But you brought that on yourself! Maybe I should see what Cat has to offer… those dimples are calling me… It doesn't seem like he worries about his 'Image' too much."

I sought her eyes and grinned at the mischief that was dancing in them. She was laughing at me and I knew that I would do any amount of groveling necessary to keep her, but fortunately there was an easier way to make her happy…

"The only thing calling you is me, and I'm calling you again. Seems I can't get enough of you."

"I can help you with that," she said seductively, her hands gliding over my stomach and down further. "Because I have the same exact problem."

Finally, The End

Thank you so much for reading and for the reviews.


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